Eco Baby Boom

Watching with sadness as neighbouring businesses close their doors in the west Dublin enterprise estate they operate from, Stokes notes it’s almost a weekly occurrence these days.  

But despite the whole eco movement being a minority issue in Ireland and many years behind Europe in environmental protection, their business has grown steadily over the years. 

However, cost efficiency at every turn has been the hallmark of its success, says Stokes, who spurned the desire to ‘get big fast’. 

Returning to Ireland after living in the Middle East, the team harboured a dream of developing this niche service.  

Operating on the belief that the environment was becoming a bigger priority for people, they began delivering a unique baby nappy – one that protects the environment but is still disposable, called the Moltex Eco Nappy. Prudently adding to its portfolio bit by bit, today Eco Baby delivers a range of eco-friendly baby products throughout Ireland. More recently they have diversified and have begun delivering specialist food to coeliacs. 

“With the boom of the past 10 years driving more and more people to work longer hours, the washable nappy option wasn’t convenient or even practical. Our customers wanted to use disposables but didn’t want to wreck the environment into which they’d just brought their baby. What we allowed people to do was live a normal, modern lifestyle with a clear conscience. That has been a big thing throughout the history of Eco Baby. This business venture was quite a new direction for us. We’re both quite happy that we made the right choice.” 

Currently employing seven people, Stokes says it is also reassuring and very positive for their staff members to know that they are doing the right thing.   

Keep costs small
As with almost all new businesses, it took a long time to transform this initial idea into the success it is today. “Most businesses when they start out are loss-making for some time. That was the same for us. It took us a long time to grow. We kept our costs small. We’ve always believed that it was important to be realistic about these things. We grew from the front room of our house to a single-room office in an enterprise unit.” 

Stokes adds that they cut their cloth according to their measure and it’s that kind of careful attitude that will help Eco Baby survive difficult times. “I don’t think we’ve ever bought anything new. We’ve bought vans that were second-hand. We don’t see any reason to invest in new things when a second-hand equivalent will do the same thing. We have to make that logical choice.  

“We hope that as the demand for environmentally sustainable products increases it will drive up the demand for our products. Eco Baby is a niche product – it is up against big player brands such as Huggies and Pampers – but it differentiates itself by offering customers that often elusive personal touch.”  

The customer is king
Maintaining this service is crucial to Eco Baby, given that over 80pc of Eco Baby’s new customers are referred by other users. “We talk to every one of our consumers at least once a month. And that’s very important. The internet is fine, but it doesn’t develop a relationship between the business and the consumer.  

“It’s a very costly thing but it’s something the customers appreciate. They know the service is specifically tailored to them. When they place an order and talk to us, we can make sure the order is delivered exactly when they want and to the exact place.  

“We’ve customers on the Aran Islands who have the box left on the pier. We’re keeping it going despite tremendous pressure from cheap companies that don’t provide the level of service we do.” 

Eco Baby is very much focused on the domestic market, as its next-day-delivery service model would not work in the export market. “A lot of people have travelled to the North to do their shopping and I think that can only happen for a certain amount of time. They will start to realise that sitting in cars and queuing for hours, even if they are saving money, isn’t the way they want to live.”  

A policy of continuous innovation applies to Eco Baby’s delivery methods. Bicycles with trailers attached are used where possible in Dublin. “Our customers love it as they are the kind of people who cycle to work and they expect something similar from us.” Its products are also sold in health-food shops and Superquinn. 

Stokes advises businesses starting out to keep everything in proportion. “Don’t buy a single thing you don’t need because your customers have to pay for it in the end and if you don’t have the customers, you start paying for it yourself. Don’t have any delusions of grandeur.”