The Little Shop first opened its doors to the public last February as a hub for mommy, baby and toddler products. The cozy Zamalek outlet offers an array of convenient commodities for little ones and their mothers. “We make sure to choose unique products of very high quality,” says Yasmine Abdel Gawad, co-owner of the Little Shop. The shop is neat and well organized. The first section includes feeding and nursing products. “Our Dr. Brown bottles are BPA-free,” says Dara Abdul Hadi, also co-owner. BPA-free products have yet to pick up in the Egyptian market but it is a pre-requisite for plastic used by both children and adults in the US. The Little Shop also stocks high-end strollers and chairs ranging from average market prices for umbrella strollers to high-end stroller brands. The shop stocks brands such as Bugaboo, Bebe Au Lait, Boon, Stokke, Skip Hop, and Bloom. Another section is dedicated to clothes for children, from newborns to eight-year-olds. Clothes from Spain, Italy and France are on display, in addition to a special line by local designer Amina Khalil who has produced child-sized versions of her unique pieces. There are also diaper mats and bibs designed by El-Horreya: Designs for Freedom--the mats are colorful on one side and white on the other, completely waterproof, and slightly padded for baby comfort. Handmade Spanish shoes are also available for kids aged eight and under. “We are available on www.thegiftery.com to make our products more accessible to mothers in Egypt,” says Abdul Hadi, and a website www.thelittleshopegypt.com is launching soon. The two partners are also raising environmental awareness through their Earth Friendly baby range of organic and earth friendly bath products and creams. The Little Shop has a wide section of furniture including shelves, beds, hammocks, tables and many other items needed for a child's room. “I am an interior designer and our little shop offers custom-made services for designing bedrooms and play areas for kids,” says Abdel Gawad. Wall paper and wall designs are also available. “Every two months, we add new products to the wide range we already have,” explains Abdel Gawad, and with a wealth of constantly emerging and evolving local designers to draw from, it is likely she will be able to keep this up. But what to do with your children while shopping? With a mommy and child book section designed in cooperation with al-Shorouk bookstore, there are plenty of distractions for older children and the spacious shop includes a play, arts and crafts area for kids to wait while their mothers shop. Complete the shopping extravaganza at their open air café with a direct view of the open play area. It seems they have it all figured out. The connection between the two co-owners has a history. Abdel Gawad and Abul Hadi were friends long before their joint project but Abul Hadi was the first of the two to take her turn at entrepreneurship, opening DNA, an advertising agency in Egypt. Abdel Gawad, who had moved to Spain after marrying, moved back to Egypt with her son and found a shortage of baby gear on the market. "Yasmine pitched the idea to me and I loved it," says Abul Hadi. "That's how we started!" The Little Shop, 11 Gezira El Wosta Street, Zamalek Tel: 0101060492, 027362063 Open 10:00 AM to 09:00 PM, closed on Sundays
