exist SMEs who seem to star in the true “Argentine miracle”. Despite the recurring crises, economic uncertainty and labor laws more in line with an old work system than a world with new challenges, some companies decide to move forward, invest and not give up. In this group, there is Carestino, the organization that was born less than ten years ago and today leads 40% of the baby items market and expands its brand in the rest of the continent.
Until the end of 2013, Vanina Bianchi and Andres Mertens They were a marriage that was dedicated to foreign trade. Searching new challenges They decided to market a product that was part of daily life, but that in Argentina was not very developed. They observed that, although in our country there is an average of 146 daily births, the market offered few items for babies. The few established companies maintained a certain degree of stillness without innovations. Pay attention to this, In April 2014, they were encouraged to commercialize a practice. They called it “Happy Dreams.”
The Mertens sought to make the dream of most families come true: get top quality original products at the best market prices. What started as a wish became a declaration of principles that they continue to comply with to the letter.
Some mascot gave name to the SME
The first items were chosen from a catalog, but their own designs soon arrived, with the imprint of the brand and distinctive details such as the white stripe on the wheels of the strollers.. To choose the name of the company and they decided on “Carestino”. The choice still makes you smile because they were not based on market studies or foreign words but on the name of someone very dear: your pet.
The company’s first headquarters was a 90-square-meter space on Belgrano Avenue that served as a showroom, commercial office, and small warehouse. The products were sold through an online platform. The responses of the families exceeded expectations and they decided to go for more. They expanded the product offering to strollers, rocking chairs, and high chairs. In 2015 they opened their first store with customer service in Balvanera, the following year and in just nine months, they opened five more stores.
As if that were not enough, in 2018, Carestino was encouraged to take another great leap. While most of the companies usually settle in the municipalities of the northern zone, they moved to the shingles on. They chose Llavallol to build their headquarters.
Today Carestino leads 40% of the baby items market and expands its brand in the rest of the continent
The area of 1,400 square meters amazes for several reasons. It has offices, a showroom, an artistic studio and a warehouse, each sector is equipped with the best technological tools. And not only that, the building has a large park with armchairs that allow you to schedule meetings in a green environment, there is a recreational sector with games and a library.
At noon the “happy dream” of the majority of the employees, because it is not necessary to take out food or order delivery since a chef is in charge of the menu. Each day a different dish is presented that is not only nutritious, but also exquisite. And another pearl almost unfindable in most offices. In the corridors a coffee machine has been installed that does not offer a strange brew but rather the authentic flavor.
Almost ten years after those beginnings, today the brand is present in 8 countries, has 12 product lines with more than 450 items, 40 official stores, it employs more than 150 people and this year it will reach 300. This expansion is not a miracle or the result of a stroke of luck, but of several factors that have to do not only with a correct business vision, but also with the sum of work and talent.
“The company advanced due to several factors -explains Alexander Lopez, Operations manager for Latin America- In the first instance, the impulse to take advantage of the advantages that the market gave with respect to the competition. After that momentum, physical stores opened quickly and in strategic places. Finally, it was implemented technological vision that allowed us to consolidate teams dedicated to the development of all areas. A large percentage of the people who work with us are dedicated to Systems; most of the programs we work with are self-developed, tailor-made and according to what we need”.
Another factor that is part of Carestino’s identity and that makes it a different company is excellence in customer service.. Those who work in the company know that the items they offer have a special imprint due to what it implies for each family. When a baby is about to arrive, buying the right stroller, choosing the right chair and the safest seat is a decision that takes hours and hours of thinking. Almost all families first do an exhaustive search through web pages, compare products, ask for references among acquaintances, to finally decide when they see the product in the store. That is why the points of sale are key.
“Although many purchases are made online, in general families want to see the product, get to know it. They live the purchase as a family experience where they decide together. That is why we do not neglect virtual service or stores.”
Another factor that makes SMEs a different company is excellence in customer service.
Deciding on the stroller or even simpler items such as the scarf or the anti-shock mat is usually a shared experience between dads, moms and many times grandparents, uncles and godparents are added. “For us, customer service is a very big differential. We are attentive to how each person who contacts us is received, advised or oriented, either online or in person. We are concerned about being in all the details and resolving every doubt,” says López. In this line, sellers are not evaluated by amount of sales but by customer service.
It is enough to visit a store to verify the Carestino philosophy. Sellers guide, but do not impose, advise, but do not overwhelm. “We do not have an aggressive sale, quite the opposite. We seek that, both on the web and in stores, those who approach feel protected and heard. We believe that, with good service, sales come by themselves. We focus on the warmth of the treatment, the solution of the problems above the sales indices”. Several details show how it always seeks to meet the needs and emotions of families and babies. In the premises, not only is it possible to get to know and try the products, they also offer comfortable armchairs for pregnant women to rest or recover their strength.
With sustained development in Argentina, it was time to cross borders. “Our international expansion began in 2019, influenced by the instability of the national macroeconomic context and by our entrepreneurial DNA that always encourages us to take on new challenges. We had more than one hundred direct collaborators and 30 own stores nationwide, but we made official our regional expansion with the arrival of the brand in the Eastern Republic of Uruguay and we can say that in almost four years we managed to position ourselves as one of the leading brands”.
With the objective fulfilled of leading in Argentina and the successful experience in Uruguay, the landings continued throughout the continent. Peru, Chile, Paraguay, Panama and Costa Rica learned about the products in 2021 and despite the pandemic. The following year Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico were goals met. This year he plans to reach Brazil and the United States.
“Being able to adapt to each market requires a significant effort to meet the particular needs of consumers in the best possible way. Every country is a different challenge, our strategy is first to make ourselves known and then focus on specific actions according to the particularities of each territory”.
An interesting fact is that, although in each country there are small modifications in the marketing methods according to what consumers prioritize, the products do not change their design. This indicates that something very complex was achieved, which is to find a product that everyone accepts despite different aesthetic cultures. “As we use neutral colors and other more playful ones, we achieve a mix that pleases everyone. It is a great credit to Vanina and the design team,” explains López.
The first headquarters of the SME was a 90 m2 space that served as a showroom, commercial office and small warehouse.
The expansion is not only international, but also in the number of people that make up the organization. In less than ten years they went from being a team of eight people to a company with two hundred employees and plans to hire a hundred more in the course of the year. “Although we have stores abroad, our entire operational base is here. The design of the products is one hundred percent Argentine, the same as all the areas that make up the company.”
In a country where labor regulations are changing, Carestino continues to bet on national talent. “As we plan and move forward with openings, new challenges appear that, far from scaring us, encourage us to go for more,” says López.
And he adds: “In the organizational structure certain sectors did not exist and we created them and added members. Our structure increased exponentially to our development. We started this year with 220 people and we will surely end the year with 300. Despite some complex regulations, Argentina continues to offer highly qualified talent with a unique ability to face challenges. That is irreplaceable because it is these people with these characteristics who make things happen later and everything works well. For this reason, we are not afraid to hire people, On the contrary, we bet on it one hundred percent.”
From those beginnings in Balvanera, Carestino never stopped advancing. “Today our main challenge is consolidate work teams to achieve sustained growth and establish ourselves in each place where we are. Looking at the path we have traveled, we are very satisfied with the work carried out and the result obtained, but we are going for more”, concludes López enthusiastically.
It cannot be denied that he is somewhat right. The proof is that if any reader approaches the exit of a kindergarten, he will verify that, four out of ten strollers are Carestino. Because for many families choosing original quality products at a good price is no longer just a happy dream but a concrete option.
