Hippychick, a Somerset based baby business, has collected an award for Best Distributor at the 2021 Progressive PreSchool Awards.
It is the fourth time Hippychick has won the award which is voted for by retailers specialising in the 0-5 age group.
The Progressive Preschool Awards are well established and recognised in the pre-school industry and have been running for nine years. Nominations for distributors are invited initially from a wide selection of retailers including independents as well as major multiples. The shortlist and the overall winners are then chosen by a select group of retailers, as well as the awards organisers, who comprise the final judging panel. 
Hippychick was presented with their award at a ceremony which took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Thursday, November 11. The event was attended by some 430 representatives from the pre-school industry and was hosted by comedian Sara Barron.
Hippychick has been in business for over 20 years, founded by owner Julia Minchin with the Hippychick Hipseat. Over the years the company has fought off tough competition to secure the exclusive UK distribution rights to some of the most prestigious international brands in the baby and toddler sector including Trybike, Bumkins, Dena and myHummy. Hippychick now has 1200 SKUs in its portfolio.
Julia Minchin, who accepted the award on Hippychick’s behalf at the ceremony along with her husband and co-Managing Director Jeremy Minchin, was thrilled to have been chosen as the winner once again: “eing voted for by our customers is the highest honour.
“The past two years have been immensely challenging for all of us, and things such as shipping continue to be very difficult. So it’s especially rewarding to have confirmation from them that we’re still continuing to do things right. We’d really like to take this opportunity to thank all those who both nominated and voted for us. It really means a lot.”
Jo Pilcher, Progressive Preschool awards organiser, added: “Hippychick comes up year after year in this category. They are well known and respected within the industry for their business prowess as well as their deep-rooted values. Taking on a distributorship isn’t just about getting a product into a national chain, it’s about building a brand and fostering ongoing, mutually productive relationships with customers. Hippychick are real masters of this and very deserving winners of this award.”
The Progressive PreSchool Award coincides with another successful year for Hippychick, during which they have won several awards for individual brands as well as a Direct Commerce Award for their outstanding agility in response to Covid-19. The company has also been shortlisted as best independent trader in the Sedgemoor Business Excellence Awards.
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