Now that the summer holidays have come to an end, thoughts in the preschool industry are turning to autumn and beyond.
The trade is preparing the best as it can, with a backdrop of strikes at the port of Felixstowe and at Royal Mail, for autumn and into the final quarter. And there are bright spots ahead, with Kind und Jugend next week (8-10 September), Brand Licensing Europe (20-22 September) and Harrogate International Nursery Fair (16-18 October).
The licensed preschool sector has big plans in store, as you will read in the industry roundtable, and the preschool licensing special, where key brand owners discuss their property highlights, trends, challenges and the retail landscape in the sector.
We also sat down with Duncan Tate and Helen Genia at Moonbug Entertainment to discuss the preschool powerhouse’s growth so far and its plans for the future of both content and its licensing programme.
This issue also takes a look at the ever-changing weaning and feeding sector, finding out what’s new and the latest trends. Elsewhere we chatted to key players in the electronic and education learning aids category.
Another bright spot on the horizon is the Progressive Preschool Awards on Tuesday 15 November. Finalists across all categories are due to be announced soon so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.
In difficult times, the preschool industry is well known for pulling together and this time will certainly be no different.
Here’s to a successful end to summer and we hope to see as many of you as possible at the upcoming shows.
