KiddieBase review - Part 1 (website)

I am proud to be one of four reviewers asked to review KiddieBase the online marketplace that incorporates independant retailers together into one place.  This review will be based on the design of the KiddieBase website, the ease of use, price points and product range it offers.

The idea of the KiddieBase website is to provide a 'one stop' shopping experience and as the website says 'We find some of the best stores on the internet and bring them all together for your convience' now that's a great idea!

So I logged on to http://www.kiddiebase.co.uk and I have to say the home page I landed on was not as I expected.  I felt the page was too 'wordy' and this is hard to see past at first.  I was met by 12 category choices with images, which when added to the typed wording, made it quite a 'busy' page.

On the plus side, I like the fact there is a contact email address on the front page but the use of a mobile number rather than a land line for contact makes me feel a little nervous.  It makes it feel a little temporary rather than an established on-line business.

Navigation through each each category was simple.  Each thumbnail product image describes the item, the price and the stockist clearly.  The product range for each category was quite impressive!  Sadly there is no search bar to put a key word in on the personalised gifts section but there was this option on other pages and also a clickable 'advanced search' option to make shopping for a specific product type quicker.  You can also click on the stockist name and all items by that stockist will appear together which is a nice feature.  Each product page can be placed in order by either lowest price, highest price, newest items or alphabetically.

£9.50 - Caterpillar Designs

Down the side bar of the website is a list of images for sponsors and links which is a nice idea but rather distracting when looking at product choices, which is a shame.  I do think again the pages are too busy and it was hard to know where to start in regards to searching or browsing.

An important consideration of any website is the range covered and of course the pricing.  The range is extensive and includes art, bathing , books, clothes for babies and children, maternity and a whole host of other products.  The product images are good quality and quick to load.  I especially liked the gift guide option for those looking to buy for others or just in need of a present suggestion - very handy!

What I love most about the KiddieBase site is the fact that smaller lesser known retailers are made available rather than it being all about the larger 'big brand' names..  There were several I had not heard of before making this a great way to discover new and unseen items.  I fell in love with this gorgeous item from Milly Bee reasonably priced at £47.50:

What a great idea for Fathers day.

As I love unusual baby clothes, Kiddiebase has brought together a very good selection and it was hard to pick a favourite but this lovely item from Sweetheart Knits deserved a special mention:

Unusual pirate jumper £25.00

I was disappointed that the product write up for this particular item showed a P & P offer with an end date of February 2011, as this should really not have been overlooked.  Luckily for me the free P&P offer was still ongoing so I ignored the date and added the item to my basket.  NB Please be careful as different postage charges may be in place for different stockists - check carefully especially if buying from more than one stockist as this may increase your final purchase price considerably. Individual stockists returns policies will differ also so please check individual policies.

Signing up for an account was very quick and easy and took me about 3 minutes which is great.  As part of this review for KiddieBase I am able to order an item up to the value of £25.00 so I can see the service and delivery process as a KiddieBase customer.  I just had to choose that gorgeous pirate jumper now didn't !?

I look forward to continuing my review when I receive the item - til then why not have a look at the range on offer at KiddieBase for yourself?

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