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Nostalgia. Design. Generation C. Storytelling. Knitting. Senior citizens and baby boomers. All these ‘trends’ beautifully come together in Danish Mormor.nu, an online store that sells baby and children’s wear from the time when grandma herself was a wee lass. (‘Mormor.nu‘ is Danish for ‘Grandma.now’). In fact, the company’s employees stem from an era when everything was made by hand, the youngest employee being 68 years old. All products are handmade, from pure wool, alpaca wool or cotton. Old knitting and crochet techniques and patterns have been revived, and colors and materials updated, making the products meet modern demands for fashionable children’s clothing, as well as for old-fashioned quality and honest materials. Cool little touch: clothes come with a small nametag signed by the grandmother that made the item.

Opportunities

From the Bugaboo to Mormor, design for tykes rules. Not surprising, as mature, experienced consumers who value authenticity, style, artisan quality and uniqueness, are looking for exactly that when buying items for their offspring. How to profit from this? Start by taking a close look at every part of the ‘baby-value-chain’, and figure out what part could do with an upgrade; whether it means infusing products with modern design, or returning to the retro-chic of yesteryear. And don’t underestimate the story-telling aspect of Mormor. Last but not least, turning senior citizens into minipreneurs could prove a hit for more than just baby apparel. Oh, and do donate a chunk of your new found riches to those organizations helping out millions of kids who don’t have it this good!