Standing With Our Global Community During Lockdown
When the world went into lockdown during COVID-19, everything shifted overnight. Families were separated, routines disappeared, and frontline healthcare and emergency service professionals stepped into unimaginable pressure, showing up every day for their communities while carrying enormous personal risk.
During that time, phil&teds®, Mountain Buggy®, and sister brand Mokopuna Merino® came together to do what we could, in the way we knew best.
With gratitude and care, we launched a global initiative offering a 33% discount across all three brands to healthcare and emergency service professionals working on the front line. It was a simple gesture, but one rooted in deep respect and a genuine desire to support those who were giving so much of themselves during an incredibly uncertain period.
Chief executive, Campbell Gower, reflected on what felt certain amid the uncertainty:
“One of the few certainties through this ever-changing time is that our incredible people on the front line around the globe are working tirelessly, whilst putting their lives at risk, and compromising so much personally, to keep their communities safe.”
For us, this initiative wasn’t about scale or recognition, it was about values. It was about acknowledging the sacrifices being made, often quietly, by people who were balancing long shifts with young families or preparing to welcome new ones.
“In our minds, they’re unsung heroes, and a lot of them have young or soon to be new families. Even though we’re a small company, based in New Zealand, we know we can offer nursery essentials to provide some support to the front line and their families all across the world. This may provide them peace of mind, and it’s honestly the least we can do; it would be a privilege to be able to serve these wonderful service people.”
At our core, phil&teds®, Mountain Buggy®, and Mokopuna Merino® exist to support young families, to offer freedom, protection, and confidence during the early years of parenting. As parents ourselves, we understood how difficult it must have been to spend long hours away from children, to miss milestones, and to carry the emotional weight of keeping others safe.
This initiative was our way of saying: we see you.
And of offering practical support for home life, a small measure of comfort, protection, and peace of mind during an extraordinary time.
Allow us to support you and your little ones to be safe and protected at home. From our family to yours, thank you for being our heroes!
Our month-long global initiative has now come to an end, but the gratitude remains. We continue to hold immense respect for the dedication, resilience, and compassion shown by frontline workers around the world then and now.
Kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui
Be strong, be courageous, and be patient.
