Bumbleboo Inc. co-owner, Heidi Pudwell, has seen an renewed interest in board games, puzzles and other traditional, family-oriented activities since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
While retailers across Alberta ease into the Christmas rush, many stores geared toward children are working to stock desirable toys and gifts.
The Pudwell family, which owns Bumbleboo Inc., a local business specializing in baby, toddler and children’s products, as well as those for expecting parents, is hoping to meet the demand, despite rising manufacturer costs and lengthened shipping times.
“(We) are always forecasting,” Heidi Pudwell, Bumbleboo Inc, co-owner, told the News. “We were starting to get emails in August about price increases because of the shipping containers and how much they’ve increased in the last year.”
Pudwell and the other owners – her husband Curt, son Brett and daughter-in-law Jen – placed their product orders in August to try to beat the rush and keep prices down, but some of the items were still delayed.
“I just got a huge puzzle order this week,” she said. “(Shipments) are stuck in places and they can’t move stuff quite as quickly. They can’t get the products to get to us.”
Some warehouses in B.C. were affected by the flooding, but most of the supply chain disruptions begin with items manufactured overseas.
A 2021 Fortune Magazine inquiry found “global supply chains are still recovering from the whiplash caused by lock-downs governments imposed in 2020 to contain COVID-19. Initially, lockdowns in China shuttered factories, which stalled much of the supply side in global shipping.”
For Bumbleboo Inc. and other stores carrying a variety of products made overseas, supply chain delays could be a long-term concern. Pudwell’s business was largely able to avoid product delays and price increases throughout the Holiday Season by ordering early, ordering time-frames have been adjusted for the future.
“We had to pre-order in September for our April bunnies. I think it’s going to get tougher for us in the spring – coming up – than it ever has been (due to) shipping,” Pudwell said.
Nevertheless, Pudwell says customers have been understanding of delays. She explained that the team at Bumbleboo Inc. frequently uses social media to inform customers about the availability of products as well as to get customer feedback on items.
Pudwell and her associates also stock numerous Canadian-made items, which don’t require transportation from overseas.
“We try to carry things that are Canadian-made,” she said. “We try to just give parents a little bit different option than what everybody else out there has … We don’t chase the ‘in’ things but I think it gives parents and grandparents other options to what the big box stores have.”
Pudwell has found traditional games and activities – especially family-oriented, like board games, puzzles, etc. – have grown in popularity since the pandemic began. She encourages shoppers to consider these items as well as the ‘hot’ toys of the year.
Her final shopping tip is to consider small businesses in Medicine Hat and area.
“Shop local,” said Pudwell. “I think our community of small stores is amazing.”
