As a new boutique opens in Yarm selling personalised baby gifts, Ruth Addicott talks to owner Bella Pemberton about some of the most popular items

Where can you find an original baby gift that not only captures those important special milestones, but has a personal touch too? Whether it’s a bib, babygrow or bespoke picture frame, Yarm’s new baby shop, Zibizi, is full of inspiration.

Specialising in personalised gifts, a baby’s name or date of birth can be embroidered onto items such as bibs, babygrows, teddy bears, playmats and bath robes - and as it’s done on a machine, it can be turned around quickly and completed while the customer waits. As well as being able to reproduce an image of the baby onto a picture frame, mug or jigsaw puzzle, Zibizi also offers a bespoke service so a name or date of birth can be embroidered onto personal items already owned, such as a special blanket or teddy bear.

The business is run by mum Bella Pemberton and her husband Andy, who live in Kirklevington, just outside Yarm.

“People are never sure what to buy, but to buy a gift with the baby’s name on looks like you’ve just gone that extra mile,” says Bella. “We do the embroidery ourselves on a machine which means we can embroider on pretty much anything and we do gift boxes so you can pick different items. We always try to offer an immediate service and people love it. They can’t believe they can get a gift embroidered straight away. The playmats do very well.”

Also popular are the ‘milestone cards’ which record the early stages of development with updates like ‘I’m one month now’, ‘I’m talking now’, ‘I’m walking now’. They can be used in photos alongside the baby to keep friends and family updated on social media.

“The idea is that the parent puts the card next to the baby and you take a picture,” says Bella. “We also do that in clothing gift sets, you can buy a box of 12 bibs and each one has got ‘I’m one month’, ‘I’m two months’ etc so you’re catching the memory of those milestones. In the first 12 months you do look at every month and celebrate and it’s lovely because you can get a photo and put it in an album or post it online.”

Prices vary with lots of little gift ideas and teddy bears for less than £10, playmats around £25 and nappy bags for £15. “We’re not top end boutique prices,” says Bella.

The most expensive item is the Jetkids ‘Bedbox’ Suitcase at £119.99 - a child’s hand luggage, ride-on suitcase and inflight bed all in one box. The suitcase which won an Innovation Award, contains a mattress and converts into a bed on an aircraft which can be stowed away neatly before landing (and can also be used on trains). It was designed in Norway by a former aircraft engineer and airline captain together with his wife, to take the hassle out of travelling with small children. “They’re absolutely amazing and have been really popular,” says Bella. “It’s a great idea. I can’t believe it hasn’t been done before.”

Bella, who previously worked as a financial advisor, set up a retail business after being made redundant in the recession. After trading online for three years, she came across the vacant premises on Yarm High Street and realised it was the perfect spot for a baby gift shop. This is her first High Street store and much of the inspiration has come from her own experience of being a mum to her one year old son Toby.

“I wanted to do something different and I wanted to have my own business,” she says. “As a mum I’ve found products that I absolutely loved and I couldn’t do without and I have tried to incorporate those into the shop as well. All the bibs and babygrows are 100 per cent cotton and manufactured in the UK because we wanted to make sure the clothing was really good quality.”

As well as gifts, Bella is hoping the store will prove handy for mums looking for basics such as good quality dummies, soothers, bubble bath, shampoo and baby monitors. The growing US trend for baby showers has also provided a niche. The shop has inspiration for gift ideas such as pregnancy chalk boards, pregnancy casting kits and wooden picture frames for a baby scan or a newborn’s hand and footprint. There’s even one with space alongside to keep the baby’s hospital ID bracelet.

Other items selling well are the brightly coloured traditional wooden toys by Lanka Kade, including puzzles, play sets, clocks, coat hooks, door knobs and name plaques.

“It’s all fair trade, hand-painted and hand-made in India and they’re lovely, just really bright nursery decorations and toys,” says Bella. “They’ve got lots of different ranges like Noah’s Ark, Fairytale Princess and Pirate and they have been flying out the shop.”

www.zibizi.co.uk