Kiddiebase Review Part 2

I have reviewed the Kiddiebase website and was given a £25 budget to purchase items in order to complete the second part of the review...delivery, postage, customer care and the products themselves.

I spent quite a long time pouring through the different stores that feature on Kiddiebase's site.  I eventually decided to buy a selection of items instead of one big item.

Kidz Klobber is a store that provides high quality, price conscious alternatives to childrenswear on the high street alongside a selection of traditional toys and gifts.  

We chose a Funky Monkey T-Shirt in a Spaceman design which was £10.  This bio-washed, premium cotton, supersoft T-Shirt is of an excellent quality.  I loved the picture and the "Ground Control to Funky Monkey" slogan and the detail on the back was a nice touch.

The Wooden Animal Clacker  is an absolute bargain at just £1.89.  It is part of a range of traditional wooden toys being sold at great prices.  I got the frog design for Freddy and he loves clacking it.  It is a great introduction to music and rhythm.

Baba + Boo stock a range of accessories for little ones including some very funky training pants in cool designs to help with the transition to potty training.  They have an absorbent gusset and waterproof layer keeping clothing protected in case of accidents.  They are suitable for ages 2-3 years. We chose the Bee design . They are a lovely quality and a good size.

The service was excellent.  Although the order goes through Kiddiebase, the individual stores contact you to confirm your order by email.  They were very friendly and approachable.  I was kept up to date with delivery times and even received a personal message wishing me well with the potty training!  It was very friendly service.  Both individual packages arrived quickly and well packaged.  The independent retailers really make shopping online a pleasure by going that extra mile for their customers.

Overall, the experience of shopping at Kiddiebase was very positive.  The extensive range of unique products means you will be able to find some really original and interesting items.  It is nice to see independent online retailers being given the chance to reach a wider audience, and it is nice for customers to have a marketplace for discovering exciting new shops.   

 

Kiddiebase Review

I have been lucky enough to have won a voucher to spend at Kiddiebase and have been asked to do a review of their website at kiddiebase.co.uk to see what I think about its look, functionality, ease of navigation, the range and pricing.

Kiddiebase aims to bring together some of the best independent stores on the Internet, providing a convenient one stop marketplace for shopping for bumps, babies and children.  The website is divided into departments covering a range of products from Nursery Art to Kids' Clothes to Toys to Travel and Safety. Clicking through one of the department links opens up a page of products with  thumbnail images.  Clicking on the image opens a page containing product information and details of the product and the store it comes from.  You can also shop by store if you know what retailer you are looking for.

Navigation is simple. Details of the product, stockist and pricing are clear.  There is a huge range of products available.  This can feel a bit overwhelming if you are just browsing, however the items are listed in sub-categories within the departments which helps you to find what you are looking for or at least point you in the right direction.  I did struggle when I clicked off one product I was looking at. To find it again I had to back track through several stores, so be sure to keep tabs if you find something you like.

Kiddiebase offers products that are a bit different to the ones you would find in the shops.  It is a collection of hand-picked, innovative retailers collected together on one website.  It gives these brands an online presence and allows shoppers to discover hidden treasures quickly and easily.  Kidz Kobbler, Teething Bling, Gumigems, Bras4Mums, Baby Meko and Hamster Buggy Bags are just a few of the stores you can find at Kiddibase.  Many of the items are bespoke and there are many unique, quirky and original items that would make unique and thoughtful gifts.  Don't expect to find big high street brands on Kiddibase, these are  independent shops often run by Mumpreneurs, being showcased in one place.

I was quite impressed with the personalised gift section.  As someone who has children with names that you will not find on the high street on off the shelf personalised items, I am always glad to see a good range of gifts that can be made to include any personalisation.  Cushions, clothing and clocks are among the lovely things that can be ordered.  Perfect for my own kids Kezia and Freddy!!

As Kiddiebase is a marketplace for individual online sellers, delivery and returns policies vary across the site.  So be sure to check the details when making a purchase.  Postage and packing charges vary and if purchasing from more than one seller you have to pay individual charges where relevant. This can add to your total costs....so be aware of that.  However, the items themselves are competitively priced and you don't pay a premium for the convenience of shopping at Kiddiebase.

With Kiddiebase, you don't have to trawl the internet or search out little high street boutiques looking for products to buy. Everything is available in one place, with Kiddiebase acting as the middleman. As you are dealing with small businesses you often find very unique items from companies who really care about their customers' shopping experience.  The fact that you can purchase from several retailers at once makes it easy to buy everything you need in one shopping basket and then pay the stores individually on checkout using PayPal or a credit card.  You can even "ask the seller a question" with a single click. Kiddiebase customer services is also on hand to help out with any queries.

The website itself benefits from being quite simple in design.  The non-fussy approach really helps with browsing and pages are quick to load.  You could really spend hours exploring the site and you will discover many hidden gems.  You will also be supporting independent retailers who bring an exciting diversity to our online shopping experience!

Kiddiebase are allowing me to make an order to the value of £25, so I can try out the service and delivery and review the product I choose.  So stay tuned for part two of my Kiddiebase write-up.  Coming soon!!