Cheeky Cherub is a new one-stop shop to buy and sell pre-loved luxury items for children. From prams to playsuits, the online platform has it all. Founders Erika Abd-Allah and Lucy James share a mission: to make the childrenswear space circular and mums’ lives as easy as possible, with a highly curated product selection and efficient concierge service.
Each year, more than 300,000 tonnes of clothes, worth £12.5billion, is thrown away in Britain alone. And children’s rapid growth only exacerbates the issue – it is the ultimate fast fashion. Womenswear rental start-ups look set to mimic the success of rental models in housing and online streaming. As the movement gathers momentum in childrenswear, Cheeky Cherub is at the forefront of this new sharing economy.
A destination for time-poor parents who take sustainability seriously and appreciate quality.
Since its launch at the end of 2020, Cheeky Cherub has been described as an ‘eco-conscious brand rethinking childrenswear’. As well as attracting the likes of several VIPs and influencers, it has also opened a pop-up shop in London’s St John’s Wood, which is available until January 2022.
The offer ranges from collections of clothing including dresses, trousers, playsuits and shoes, to essentials such as highchairs and buggies. Brands include Stella McCartney, Marie Chantal, Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Sleepyhead and Bugaboo.
The Cheeky Cherub website offers seamless service geared to parents’ needs. The team takes charge of the full selling process. This includes courier collection, professional photography and listing creation. The seller, meanwhile, still has full access to their account to track and submit pre-loved items. It is built with the end customer in mind too, with search and filter functionality making the shopping process targeted and simple.
From lawyer and Oxford graduate to full-time business owners and mothers.
Erika Abd-Allah and Lucy James founded the business to revolutionise the waste of the kidswear industry while making the process efficient for mums.
James started her career at Allen & Overy as a corporate lawyer. Her passion for retail led her to join the in-house legal team at Westfield. She is a mother of two boys, both under two years old. New mum Abd-Allah graduated from Oxford, leading to a long-established career in advertising and marketing. Her passion for brand building dovetails with James’ business expertise. They both left their corporate jobs to focus on Cheeky Cherub full-time.
Abd-Allah, co-founder of Cheeky Cherub, says; “We understand what busy looks and feels like. Our ambition for Cheeky Cherub was to create a curated, one-stop shop for mums who are keen to play a role in the circular economy, but who don’t want to compromise on style, quality or their precious time.”
Removing stigma surrounding the circular economy
Abd-Allah continues; “Our aim is also for Cheeky Cherub to remove any remaining stigma attached to the pre-loved children’s market. Cheeky Cherub is founded on creating a premium and memorable experience for our customers. From our highly curated product selection to our attention to detail in packaging, we focus on removing the consumer hurdles. Our extensive research found that the main barriers preventing parents from buying and selling second hand were quality and time.
“Attitudes towards pre-loved items have transformed, particularly for luxury. There are increasing numbers of parents who want to contribute to the circular economy but outsource the time-intensive selling process to us.”
The logistics
Parents looking to sell their pre-loved items on Cheeky Cherub can create an online seller account then submit their items online. Within 24 hours, Cheeky Cherub proposes a listing price. The items can then be sent to Cheeky Cherub, or the team will arrange a courier to collect them for a small fee. The team take charge of the rest: from product listing to photography. It’s a simple, straightforward process.
Fellow Cheeky Cherub co-founder, James, adds; “Cheeky Cherub is founded on the concept of sharing – from a much-loved pram to a must-visit cafe. The sharing economy is more to us than just second hand clothing. We want to provide a thriving community for parents to connect. We make the logistics easy so that they can do that.”
For further information on Cheeky Cherub, please click here.
