Bugaboo International is a Dutch company that develops and produces mobility products. Founded more than 15 years ago, Bugaboo produced the world's first modular stroller. Today, Bugaboo has over 1,200 employees worldwide and its products are sold in more than 50 countries. Products or services in the ResCoM pilot Bugaboo is using ResCoM to support Flex Plan, a flexible lease system for strollers that allows Bugaboo customers to change their model and accessories to suit their lifestyle and needs. Flex Plan allows customers to choose which products they want to lease, and the period of time for which they would like to lease them. Motivations for being part of ResCoM The main goal for Bugaboo in the ResCoM project is to gain more knowledge on what is needed to achieve and implement its sustainability vision of increased usage and longer lasting products. Bugaboo believes that long lasting products are a sign of good quality and good design, and that it is one of the many reasons why people will keep buying Bugaboo products, new and used.

Bugaboo also recognises that longer lasting products have less impact on the environment, when used more often. A number of challenges have been identified by Bugaboo that need to be addressed to enable the success of Flex Plan. Challenges faced by Bugaboo include; tracking and tracing product returns to set up efficient reverse logistics, regulatory compliance of refurbished products, design optimisation for leasing and refurbishment, financial feasibility of the business models, and comparison of new business models to existing business.massage chair for sale in calgaryBugaboo strollers catapulted to success in the early 2000s and became a must-have for expecting celebrities and soccer moms alike, despite their steep price, with models retailing for between $600 and $1,200.modern rocking chair brisbane

The funny thing is, Max Barenbrug, the founder and creator of Bugaboo, wasn't even thinking about moms when he came up with the idea in 1994. In fact, he first designed the stroller for men. He didn't even create it with children in mind, really. At the time, he was a design student in Amsterdam, trying to come up with an idea for his graduation project. From the window of his apartment, he saw parents struggling with clunky strollers decorated with teddy bear prints and "stupid colors."recliner chairs for sale brisbane So he set off to create a stroller that had nothing to do with being cute or cool. cosatto high chair weight limitFor him, it was all about mobility and function. mesh office chair headrest

He made his first model with the idea that men could use it for all types of recreation -- transitioning from the beach to the street, up stairs and into cars all with ease. The only problem was no manufacturer wanted to take it on. To convince them, Barenbrug redesigned the stroller several times to make the it more marketable, a bit flashier and up to safety standards. When it came to finding a name, he flipped through the dictionary for inspiration. cheap table and chairs worthingHe looked up the word 'buggy,' but his eyes caught the 'bugaboo' nearby. folding chair rental hamiltonHe was so taken by the word that he didn't care that its meaning -- an object of fear -- is decidedly not child-or-marketing-professional-friendly.finn stone ball chair for sale

When Bugaboo finally launched in 1999 in Holland, it was an immediate hit -- new parents in every neighborhood in Holland, even the royal family, were either pushing a Bugaboo or wanted to be pushing one, he said. But what really launched the stroller intended for men was an American TV show about women having sex. Bugaboo was in the midst of making plans to bring the strollers to the U.S. market when "Sex and the City" approached the brand about using one of its strollers in the show. crazy creek chair academyIt was lightning in a bottle for the brand: An episode with Miranda toting her son around town aired, and overnight, every American mother had to have one. It turns out that the show, credited for making the very pricey, very glamorous shoemaker Manolo Blahnik a household name, did the same for a decidedly unglamorous item that most parents only viewed as a necessity, not a stylish accessory.

"By accident, we went into the U.S. earlier, but the show opened a lot of doors for us globally," said Madeleen Klaasen, Bugaboo's chief marketing officer, who has been with the company for more than a decade. Since then, celebrities have flocked to the brand, with everyone from Duchess Kate to Gwyneth Paltrow buying one. Barenbrug once received a call years ago that Madonna had come into its Los Angeles store, eager to take one home. The bang for your buck So the strollers became something to covet -- an item that made parents, who were maybe sleep-deprived, feel trendy and in-the-know and luxurious, even if they had spit-up cereal stuck to their sweaters. But stores started to see them flying off shelves for another reason: the quality of the aluminum and the fabrics used held up better. Sure, you can get a stroller for half the price. But according to Eli Gurock, who owns the baby gear haven Magic Beans in Boston, parents pay a premium for products that work well and last a long time.

"For a lesser-quality product, when it breaks, it's broken for good and goes in the garbage," he said. "The thing about Bugaboo is it's not a ripoff." Collaborations with different designers, from a brightly-colored Missoni pattern to Andy Warhol's famed pop art flower prints to a sleek black Marc Jacobs versions, have also been a draw. At the same time, Bugaboo has consistently updated existing models and created new ones to meet customer needs, like a Bugaboo Donkey double stroller and a just-announced model meant specifically for runners. Zanna Rassi Roberts, senior fashion editor at Marie Claire, stylist and fashion correspondent for "E! News" and "The Today Show," strolls her twin daughters around in a Warhol print double stroller. She said it's like pushing them around in a piece of art. "I have to be in a sociable mood when I pop them in [the stroller], as everyone stops to firstly look at the stroller, and then at the twins," she said. "We make this product as good as we can with as good of a value as possible, but at the same time, you know you're special, you know you're part of something if you have one," Barenbrug said.