It’s officially time for us to graduate to a toddler bed.
This May, dadada Baby turned 2. And those first two years? They haven’t exactly been ordinary. Just like the new parents we design for, we’ve had our share of sleepless nights, big questions, unplanned setbacks, and, of course, a whole lot of joy.
In March of 2020, dadada Baby had just taken the leap to open a US branch. We were brand new to the industry, but armed with nearly a century of furniture making expertise, we were excited to introduce ourselves to a new country and a whole new collection of families. We had retailer connections and brick-and-mortar placements ready to go. Inventory was stocked. The marketing copy was written. And then.
Well, you were there. You know what comes next. And then the pandemic hit.
We were just a few months old, but it was time to pivot. So pivot we did! We shifted all of our energy into supporting our retailers the best way we possibly could - by offering direct-to-consumer drop shipping programs on their behalf that allowed them to sell dadada Baby online, in store, through social media…however they could to keep their doors open. And it worked!
Because out there, in a world of uncertainty, one thing was still certain: families were having babies, and they needed quality furniture to support them. Now that everyone was spending more time at home than ever before, it mattered that the furniture they chose was also beautiful. So, together with our retailers, we set out to provide what was needed.
We kept our eyes on the future - on design trends and baby shower decor and nursery product innovations - and released new products that helped inspire a whole new generation of nursery design. We took on as many extra costs as we could to make sure our products stayed available, even when shipping and materials supply were behaving in completely unpredictable ways. We stayed nimble, stayed willing to adapt, and didn’t hesitate to jump as soon as we knew what the right move was.
Most importantly, we invested in community. We took the cliche “it takes a village” seriously. Because we adapted our systems, we were able to partner not only with big retailers who could afford to order and store backroom stock, but also with small retailers who could only keep a few floor models (or even just an online listing) on hand. Together with our retailers, we found a way to get products to parents, even when the usual experiences of in-person registry, shopping, and showers weren’t possible.
And here we are - entering our toddler years incredibly proud of the community we’ve built. We’re grateful daily for the incredible retailers who partnered with us through unprecedentedly difficult times. We’re grateful for a dedicated team of employees and contractors who were willing to adapt, joyfully, in an ever changing world.
And most of all, we’re grateful for the parents who invite us into the first precious months of their baby’s life. We’re grateful for your trust that baby’s safety is always our first priority. We’re grateful you know you can rely on us for safe finishes, sturdy construction, and heirloom pieces that can stay with your families for generations instead of winding up in a landfill. We’re grateful for every #dadadamoment you share - first photos, first smiles, first night in the nursery - every milestone means everything to us. You’re the reason we didn’t give up when our first two years were full of all kinds of unexpected mayhem. And you’re the reason we can’t wait to see what the next two (and then five, and then ten) years have in store.
As far as this next year is concerned, we’re ready to jump into toddlerhood in style! We’ve got exciting new products to release, new categories to enter, new designs to inspire, and new babies to meet.
We hope you’ll join us for the journey.
We’re so grateful to share these moments with you.