Maclaren opens showroom
Jane Kitchen -- Kids Today, 3/1/2006
South Norwalk, Conn.— Maclaren USA has opened a 1,378-square-foot trade showroom near its headquarters here, designed to show the complete product line to both the trade and the public.
"It's really about extra services," said Karen Murabito, vice president of marketing for Maclaren USA. "...It's an opportunity for someone to see the full line of products."
In addition to strollers, the showroom will include the company's lines of baby carriers, toys and stroller accessories, as well as designer exclusives. A wide selection of products will be available for direct sale to consumers.
The bottom floor of the brick building will showcase the line, while the top floor houses offices. Murabito said the high-profile location near the Maritime Aquarium and many restaurants means the area is full of foot traffic, and it made sense to open the showroom to the public.
The showroom has video resources to occupy children accompanying their parents, as well as presentations detailing the history of Maclaren. In the future, the showroom will host design exhibits, educational talks on various topics for parents, and will be available to community groups as a meeting resource.
"Maclaren has always set the standards for the juvenile industry in innovation, design and service," said Bahman Kia, president of Maclaren USA. "The trade showroom is the latest example of how we are raising the bar for children's products in service to our consumers and retail customers."
Murabito has recently joined Maclaren as vice president of marketing, and the company has created dedicated marketing, sales management and operations divisions as well.
Michael Tedesco has joined Maclaren as vice president of sales to handle the company's retail distribution and national sales force. David Jenkins and Jed Whitters have been added as sales associates who will act as in-house sales managers.
Logistics and service industry veteran Carlos Ramos has joined the company in the newly created position of operations manager to ensure efficient and timely delivery of product.
The Maclaren showroom will also serve as a retail store for consumers.
