The Dublin woman who invented this year’s must-have beach gadget is about to release Version 2.0 of the Cush’n Shade, an award winning gadget that is fast becoming a cult item.
The Cush’n Shade is a neck supporting cotton pillow with an SPF50 sunshade that can be tilted to any angle. It was released less than a year ago and has been selling like hot cakes since the Italian catalogue DMail put it on its front cover in May. It sold 2,500 in the first two weeks. After it was shown to hardware and garden retailers at a trade event in the US in May, it got a fantastic response and orders from Wal-Mart Mexico, TK Maxx, Bed, Bath & Beyond and other high profile US retailers came flooding in. Now there are only about 1,500 remaining of the first production run of 11,500. However the company has cranked up production of the latest model which will be available soon. Grazia magazine said the Cush’n Shade was this year’s holiday essential: “We’re predicting it’ll become a cult buy and Pucci will be designing covers for it by next year.”
Award-winning interior designer Joan Bree, from Terenure, dreamed up the Cush’n Shade while sunbathing with friends on a beach in Sardinia in 2002. But it took her four years to perfect a prototype and get the first batch of Cush’n Shade produced. Version One was manufactured in China and launched last year. It is now being posted all over Europe from the company’s Belgian operation. Cush’n Shade also set up a US distribution centre in Forth Worth, Texas, earlier this year. It is only available in Ireland from Duty Free outlets while it is being sold from about 15 UK based web sites to customers around the world.
“Sales in the US are going really well, mainly from pharmacies and outdoor furniture shops,” Jamie Jenkinson, Cush’n Shade’s Director of Operations Officer told Smart Company. “The new version arrives here in about 10 days. It is smaller than a rolled up beach towel, so it is much easier to pack and take abroad with you, there are no more excuses for burnt faces and damaged skin.”
Jenkinson left his job as a property manager to join his mother’s business when it took off last year. The fledgeling business got a lot of support from Dublin City Enterprise Board, beginning with a feasibility grant of €4000. “The first thing that Mum did was to develop a prototype. The first prototype was made with wood but was big, heavy and not suited for the mass market. Our latest model is foldable making it very small and portable when unassembled and it is suitable for every sales channel from pharmacys and duty frees to giant supermarkets,” said Jenkinson.
Later on DCEB provided more grant funding for employment, building a web site and developing exports along with a lot of invaluable contacts.
“I would advise any small business or inventor to make Dublin City Enterprise Board their first port of call,” said Jenkinson.
<p>Three factors were key to the company’s success, according to Jenkinson. He cites an early deal with Spear Technologies, an Irish company which specialises in getting new products manufactured in the far east; finding a good web design company which also handles site updates and getting the company’s back office systems designed for it by P3, an organisation in Blackrock, which specialises in designing and operating order fulfilment systems.
Joan Bree won a European Women Inventor and Innovators Network (EWIIN) award for the Cush’n Shade product. Joan was nominated by Nicola Rathbone from The Irish Inventors Association, and she collected the award at the Global Womens’ Summit in Germany last June.
Ltd
