In the era of the sharing economy and sustainability, a new trend is emerging among parents concerned about the environment and their wallets: renting baby equipment. More and more families are choosing to rent rather than buy these items, which, while essential, are often used for too limited a time.
According to data from CEACU (Spanish Confederation of Housewives, Consumers and Users), the average costs faced by parents are only during the first year of a baby's life 8,254 euros divided into food, hygiene, health, clothing, toys, crib, stroller, car seat, high chair… The last four items on the list are the items that concentrate the highest financial investment, with an average of 2,900 euros.
Surprised by this sequence of costs, Rodrigo Cardona and Ignacio Hidalgo – who became parents a year ago – decided to create and launch the baby equipment rental platform. KidFlit (www.kidflit.com). “Not only is it a major expense that many people cannot afford, but many of these products are only used for a few months,” explains Rodrigo Cardona. Nowadays families live in small apartments and we cannot store all these products. That's why we saw renting as the perfect solution for parents. Moreover, we can gradually contribute to reducing waste in this sector.”
Currently, KidFlit focuses on renting products that require large expenses: strollers and strollers, mini cribs, bathtubs, car seats, among others. This platform works directly with the most important companies in the sector and the products it rents come directly from the factory. “This allows us to understand very well the initial and final states after each use and return it to an optimal condition so that the next family receives it as new,” Cardona explains. By working directly with the brands, we know the lifespan of each of the products We only rent them for the time recommended by the brands. This is a practice that many families are unaware of and will keep a children's product for years before passing it on to their cousin or friend, but many products are made from materials that deteriorate over time. Our way of working means the product is always in perfect condition. However, for people who prefer brand new, we also offer the option of renting first-hand products.
Surprised by the spiral of costs associated with becoming a father, Rodrigo Cardona and Ignacio Hidalgo founded the KidFlit platform
Another important business niche is the rental of baby equipment aimed at very specific moments, such as outings. In fact, it usually happens that the birth of children limits the number of family transfers, both for economic reasons and because of the complicated logistics associated with moving all the utensils that a baby needs every day and during the first years of life.
One of the oldest companies in this field is Backpack baby (www.backpackbaby.com), based in Barcelona. «As a mother of three children, every little outing involved a huge logistical effort… and from there came the idea of creating a company where everything needed for the little ones in the house could be rented, both for families coming to Barcelona and for those who already live here and have a specific need,” explains founder Laura Iglesias. In these ten years, Iglesias explains that demand has grown exponentially over time, and especially in terms of national clientele: “since we started we hardly had any Spanish clients, the majority were tourists visiting the city. ”
The experience and efficiency of Back Pack Baby have made this company the only official provider of this type of service for Barcelona Turisme, the official entity for the promotion and revitalization of the tourist, cultural and commercial offer of Barcelona and its surroundings. On the platform you can find everything from the most essential if you are traveling with children –prams, car seats, travel cots, high chairs– to items that are a priori less relevant, but also in high demand: toy packs, bathtubs, bottle warmers, beach items… «We also have, in case families need it, a service for the sale of basic necessities such as diapers, milk or baby food – explains Laura Iglesias. Initially, we developed a general inventory based on our own experiences as parents, but it has grown and changed over time, and we have added items or services based on family demand.
Laura Iglesias is the founder of Back Pack Baby, a platform that makes life easier for families with babies visiting Barcelona
Hygiene and safety are two important chapters in this kind of business. “It's absolutely fundamental,” says Laura Iglesias. In our case, all products comply with European safety regulations and are duly approved, in addition to third party liability insurance. Likewise, all our inventory is cleaned and disinfected after each use with products suitable for any material, hypoallergenic and chemical-free.
At KidFlit, they explain that, for example, with regard to car seats, they ask their customers to report any minor incident they have experienced: “We will immediately replace the seat and work with the manufacturer to confirm if that seat can be used or if it must be removed from circulation. If there is the slightest doubt, we will remove it from our catalogue. “We are parents and we are not going to offer any product that we would not use for our daughters.”
If customer experience is important in any service, then it is even more so in this case. It is clear that parents want the best for their children and that the demands are high. “It is an area in which needs are changing significantly – indicates Rodrigo Cardona –. That requires us to be very flexible. For example, we offer the option to exchange the product at any time during the rental: if you had a stroller, but you are going to have another baby and what really suits you is a double seat, no problem, we will exchange it for one without any problem.
In addition to the parents' demands, in the case of Back Pack Baby there are also expectations about a holiday period in which the entire process must run perfectly. “This translates into guaranteeing that our products meet customer needs 100%, in the smoothness of deliveries and returns (at our office, at the hotel, at the airport just before the departure of flights…). Our WhatsApp is operational 24/24 for any questions or needs. Traveling with children often involves last-minute needs or changes, and assuming these changes are part of our job,” emphasizes Laura Iglesias.