Family Nation opens in Florence

Florentine Emilia Mugnai was on maternity leave from her work with United Nations in Bangkok when she became fascinated with the varying cultures and traditions of families around the world. Her long-held dream was to marry a passion for beautiful items with the belief that they must also be “good and right”. Her husband, Aidan, was also the perfect partner in business, bringing his experience in international economic development to the opening of their Family Nation e-store, “an online showcase for 2.0 parents”, before launching their first physical store in Milan last November. The innovative SME associated with the Florence-based digital accelerator Nana Bianca was an immediate success, opening the doors to their Florentine store at via Anton Francesco Doni 7A in Novoli on March 16, where a passionate team curates a varied and considered selection for infancy, with a calendar of events to involve and educate families and their little ones.

Emilia and Aidan worked in over 60 countries with the United Nations, returning to Florence in 2011 to settle in the Tuscan hills with their two children Flavia and Tancredi. Family Nation offers an extensive selection of everything related to maternity and children aged 0-6 years, with high-quality international brands and an ever-updated catalogue of innovative products that combine design and functionality with a focus on sustainability. The bilingual and binational couple went from being a point of reference in the online sale of children’s products to stores that are more than the mere selling of items, they are hubs for entertainment and learning with a dedicated kids zone where little ones can try first hand some of the play things for sale, giving their grown-ups the head space they need for their shopping.

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The over 60 brands on offer represent some of the best in the business, with bestselling pram brands Stokke and Inglesina which are firm favourites with families, and a car seat selection that includes Ding and Cybex. The comfiest looking shoes ever are by Bobux, with Connetix, Scoot and Ride and Stapelstein other names that those in the know will be delighted to find. The friendly staff both online and onsite can assist with gift lists or baby registries, helping parents pick among the ample and innovative toy selection that favours interactive, educational and open-ended games by brands like Grimm’s, Moulin Roty, Grapat, Djeco and I piccoli Montessori, with a wide range of decorative items to render your child’s room a play paradise.

The 260 m2 space also includes digital kiosks that allow you to browse through the 12,000 products on the e-commerce site, choosing them via the swift click-and-collect service. A changing and breastfeeding area adds to the comfortable purchasing experience.

An inauguration party will be held this Saturday, April 13, with two free workshops: infant massage at 3pm with Cristina Tessore (A.I.M.I certified teacher and collaborator with La Mia Ostetrica), and games in English with Labsitters for children aged 3-5 years at 4.30pm. There are limited places available for the workshops, with booking online. A merenda (snack) break is at 4pm, with an open-to-everyone aperitivo at 6pm to present the world of Family Nation. Making the visit even more seamless is the easy arrival via tram, or if arriving by car, you can avail of the two hours free parking in the neighbouring Lidl.

CEO of Family Nation, Emilia Mugnai, elaborates: “As promised, after the opening in Milan, we immediately took action to guarantee the families who have followed us for years a new physical store in one of the cities we are most fond of, also because it is our city, where everything started. We are really proud of this further achievement, but above all, we are satisfied to be able to reach out even more to the Family Nation public through an increasingly simple and direct purchasing method, which puts little ones and their families at the centre”.