Tots Bots Limited (In Provisional Liquidation)
Hilco Streambank (“Hilco”) is seeking offers to acquire the intellectual property assets of Tots Bots Limited (In Provisional Liquidation) (the “Company”) on behalf of the Joint Provisional Liquidators of the Company, Blair Nimmo and Alistair McAlinden of Interpath Advisory.
Background
Established in 2001, TotsBots has been a trailblazer in manufacturing environmentally conscious reusable cloth diapers (known as cloth nappies). Founded by Fiona and Magnus Smyth, driven by their commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly diapering solutions, the Company quickly gained prominence for its high-quality cloth diapers designed for babies and toddlers. Operating from Scotland, TotsBots focuses on ethically sourced materials to produce British-made, durable, efficient, and user-friendly cloth diapers.
The Company offered a diverse range of cloth diaper choices, including all-in-one diapers, pocket diapers, covers, and accompanying accessories like liners and wet bags. Known for vibrant and functional designs, TotsBots ensured a colourful variety to cater to different preferences while maintaining functionality and comfort for infants and toddlers, including collaborations with other big-ticket brands. The Company was committed to sustainability, advocating for reducing waste by promoting reusable diapering solutions and encouraging parents to embrace environmentally friendly practices.
TotsBots has garnered praise for its steadfast commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovative designs in cloth diapering. Acquiring the TotsBots intellectual property assets presents a unique opportunity for prospective buyers to harness a well-established brand with a significant online presence and a loyal customer base, poised to tap into the market demand for stylish, eco-conscious children’s products.
Available Assets
The TotsBots Brand
The TotsBots brand is revered by parents seeking sustainable and eco-friendly diapering solutions.
Recognised for its commitment to crafting reusable cloth diapers, TotsBots has earned widespread acclaim for its dedication to quality and environmental consciousness. The brand has been prominently featured in esteemed publications, drawing attention from influential media outlets such as The Guardian and HuffPost, spotlighting TotsBots’ innovative approach to diapering solutions. TotsBots has also received industry accolades, securing awards such as the Best Multipart Reusable Nappy at the MadeForMums Awards in 2022 and TotsBots cloth nappies, awarded the Ethical Consumer Best Buy Label.
TotsBots boasts a robust online presence, with an engaged community of over 78k followers/subscribers across social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The brand resonates with environmentally conscious parents seeking eco-friendly alternatives for their infants and toddlers.
Acquiring the sought-after TotsBots brand offers an unparalleled opportunity to develop a well-established name within the children’s healthcare industry, replete with protected designs, a loyal customer base, and a significant online presence.
Trade Marks
The Company holds a portfolio of 14 registered trade marks protecting the “TotsBots” brand name and logo internationally, as well as protecting several of the Company’s product names, such as its foray into baby carriers branded “Papoozle” and a historical nappy design, known as “Aqualoc”.
Full details on the Company’s trade marks are available via a virtual data room.
Designs
The Company also holds two registered designs, protecting its innovative diaper design across the UK and EU.
Full details on the Company’s designs are available via a virtual data room.
Domain Names
The primary totsbots.com domain name and several other TotsBots-related domain names are available to acquire.
A full domain name schedule is available via a virtual data room.
The TotsBots Platform
The Company owns the copyright in the content of the vibrant totsbots.com website and e-commerce platform (the “TotsBots Platform”), designed to provide a user-friendly experience while reflecting the brand’s ethos of sustainability and eco-consciousness.
The TotsBots Platform featured a visually appealing design with vibrant colours, engaging imagery, and a layout harmonising with the brand’s eco-friendly philosophy. With pastel hues and playful visuals, it resonated with the target audience, predominantly parents seeking sustainable childcare products.
With intuitive navigation, the TotsBots Platform was designed to make it easy for visitors to explore various product categories, such as reusable cloth diapers, nursery essentials, toys, and accessories, with precise categorisation and menus simplifying the browsing experience for customers. The website was also optimised for mobile browsing/devices, ensuring a seamless shopping experience. Further, the checkout process was streamlined and included multiple payment options for a hassle-free purchase journey.
With intuitive navigation, the TotsBots Platform was designed to make it easy for visitors to explore various product categories, such as reusable cloth diapers, nursery essentials, toys, and accessories, with clear categorisation and menus simplifying the browsing experience for customers. The website was also optimised for mobile browsing/devices, ensuring a seamless shopping experience. Further, the checkout process was streamlined and included multiple payment options, for a hassle-free purchase journey.
From July 2022 to November 2023, the TotsBots Platform attracted over 180k users, with c. 47% of the traffic to the website direct or organic. For the same period, the Platform also generated an impressive c. £1.3m in revenue, facilitating over 8.7k transactions, with an average order value of c. £145.
Social Media Accounts
An enviable social media following supports the TotsBots brand, with c. 78k followers across various platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more.
A full social media schedule is available via a virtual data room.
Customer Data
The Company’s vast database of over 7.2k consumer customer records, including names and email addresses, is available to acquire. The Company also holds a database of its top 60 trade customers, including many big-name retailers, which can be purchased.
Supplier Data
The Company maintained a database of its c. 90 key suppliers, also available to acquire.
Subscriber Data
The Company stores the details of approximately 30,000 email subscribers in its TotsBots Mailchimp mailing list.
Background
Following the success of TotsBots, Fiona Smyth, Co-Founder of the Company, embarked on a new venture inspired by her daughter Maia, founding NORA (formerly Bloom & Nora) in dedication to sustainable menstruation solutions. Focused on ethically produced, eco-friendly period products manufactured in the UK and with a firm commitment to health and waste reduction, NORA aims to provide sustainable options for menstrual hygiene, aligning with the Company’s passion for promoting environmentally conscious choices.
The journey behind creating NORA mirrors the Company’s dedication to developing products prioritising health and sustainability. Acquiring the intellectual property assets associated with NORA offers a strategic opportunity for buyers to delve into a brand that advocates eco-friendly menstrual hygiene solutions positioned to meet the increasing demand for sustainable and health-focused period products in the global market.
Available Assets
The NORA Brand
The NORA brand is well-known and recognised for its commitment to revolutionising menstrual hygiene with eco-friendly and ethically produced period products.
The brand is firmly positioned at the forefront of sustainable menstrual hygiene solutions and is recognised for its innovative strides in promoting eco-friendly practices. The brand is well-known as the first to get reusable sanitary pads onto the High Street, owing to a successful partnership with industry heavyweight Holland & Barrett in 2019. Further, the brand has also received coverage from revered media outlets such as The Independent and Good Housekeeping, with the latter hailing the NORA Reusable Period Pants as Joint Best in the market for period pads in August 2023.
In addition to its coverage by the media, despite its relative youth, the NORA brand holds a loyal following across its engaging social media channels, with over c. 7.4k cumulative followers across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and others. The brand is backed by an Excellent 4.7*/5* rating on Trustpilot, based on over 880 reviews.
The sought-after NORA brand embodies a commitment to sustainability and wellness, presenting a unique opportunity for potential buyers looking to delve into a brand synonymous with eco-friendly menstrual hygiene solutions and capitalise on the rising global demand for environmentally conscious choices in menstrual care.
Trade Marks
The Company holds six registered trade marks, protecting the “NORA” brand name and logo and the historical “Bloom & Nora” brand name, with international protection.
Full details on the Company’s trade marks are available via a virtual data room.
Domain Names
The Company holds a portfolio of 15 NORA/Bloom & Nora-branded domain names, including the primary livebynora.com domain name, which hosted the Company’s attractive and popular e-commerce website.
A full domain name schedule is available via a virtual data room.
The NORA Platform
The NORA Platform, hosted on the livebynora.com website and powered by Shopify, is a leading e-commerce platform showcasing a diverse range of stylish and top-quality feminine care products, featuring period pants, reusable period cups, and pads.
The NORA Platform is a premier destination for individuals seeking sustainable and stylish feminine care products. Showcasing a curated collection of period pants, reusable period cups, and pads, it caters to those prioritising eco-conscious solutions for menstrual care.
Within the NORA Platform’s engaging interface, visitors gain access to an array of sustainable feminine care options thoughtfully crafted to align with modern lifestyles. The website also provides a forum for visitors to read insightful articles and posts covering topics relevant to menstrual health and eco-friendly living.
From July 2022 to November 2023, the NORA Platform attracted over 36.7k users, with a large proportion of the traffic organic or direct. For the same period, the NORA Platform also generated c. £60k from almost two thousand transactions, with an average order value of £33.
Social Media Accounts
An enviable social media following supports the NORA brand, with the Company attracting c. 7.4k followers across its various channels.
A full social media schedule is available via a virtual data room.
Customer Data
The Company holds a sizeable database of over 7.2k consumer customer records, including names and email addresses, available to acquire. The Company also holds a database of its top 30 trade customers, which is also available to acquire.
Supplier Data
The Company maintained a database of its c. 90 key suppliers, also available to acquire.
Subscriber Data
The Company stores the details of approximately 12,000 email subscribers in its Bloom & Nora Mailchimp mailing list.
All expressions of interest and bids are to be directed to Hilco in writing. A Bid Submission Form is available on request. Please contact Hilco to gain access to a virtual data room of further information on signing a confidentiality agreement.
The Joint Provisional Liquidators act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.
The bidder acknowledges that Hilco acts as an agent for the Joint Provisional Liquidators who offer for sale only what right, title and interest (if any) the Company possesses in the assets. Such sale will be without any warranties, expressed or implied. The information provided has not been verified by Hilco or the Joint Provisional Liquidators and bidders are deemed to have carried out their own due diligence.
VAT, if applicable, at 20% will be added to the price. A non-refundable deposit of 20% will be payable by the buyer within 48 hours of bid acceptance. A buyer’s premium of 10% of the sale price is payable by the winning bidder. Legal completion to occur within 5 business days of bid acceptance. Hilco’s full Terms and Conditions apply.
