Shopping with baby on board isn't really that much fun, is it? First you have to navigate the pram into the shop, taking care not to nip your fellow shoppers on the ankles. Even if you time it well and get a quick trip round the shops during nap time, you can guarantee that your little treasure will wake up and start bawling his head off just as you're queueing to pay. If he's old enough to talk, you can guarantee he'll say "I'm bored". All in all, not a good experience.
If you're pregnant it's not much better - all those prams and cots to peruse, with swollen ankles and a belly the size of Venus slowing you down.
Now a new, free service is hoping to change that. And it involves free cake too! Did you hear me people, this way for the cake:
The service is called the VIB (Very Important Baby) shopping service and it's a tailored package for parents looking for some extra help. Shoppers are assigned a VIB advisor, who'll aim to be your own personal shopper by listening carefully to your needs and helping you pick out the equipment that suits you best. So if you're pregnant and tired, with a shopping list as big as your stomach and just fancy sitting back and letting someone else do all the running around for you, then this is right up your street.
They'll also sort out special delivery and if you're buying items such as car seats and prams, they'll make s
ure these fit comfortably and safely into your car. Customers will also receive relevant brochures, a free pack of three sun blinds, and (the best bit) a free coffee and cake vouchers.
The VIB service is now available at Kiddicare's superstore at Hampton, Peterborough. You can book your free slot at this link.
The only downside I can see with this service is that it's set within a baby equipment shop, so you can only use it when you're shopping for baby stuff. I wonder if it'll catch on in shoe shops and department stores too? That really would be special treatment.