ELC- CAN YOU TELL IM A FAN! (Early Learning Centre)

Member Name: elmo1

Product:	Early Learning Centre
Date:	26/01/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good value, hard wearing, good range ,educational

Disadvantages: Can sometimes be too busy instore as they always small and availiabilty not great

ELC

This is one of my favourite shops both online and in store.
We are lucky enough to have 2 early learning stores in our city and a concession shop in large mothercare.
However since daughter has been born I prefer to use the website as its quicker for me and you can use discount codes just google dicount code sites as its always nice to get money off.
Save that code and enter in special code box at online checkout sometimes they work sometimes they dont buy hey its worth a try.

I also joined the birthday club when I was given a leaflet in store which means they send my daughter a free cd and I get a 20%voucher just before her birthday which is quite generous.
I also got send a 20% voucher couple of months before christmas as was valid until xmas eve which was good.
Only catch I discovered at chritmas is like most retailers the heavily discounted anyway and you could not get the discount off anything already discounted usually the items with price in red on website.
But still manged to pick up till this xmas for £10 from £20 so not all bad its good they have incentives and encourage customer loyalty.

I think what I like most about the brand is pretty much everything in the range is age suitable and hardwearing for my destructive toddler to play with.
I did not start shopping there really until daughter was nearly one on hunt for less babyish educational toys for her first bithday.
I did not know what to get but the man in store was really helpful and spent time with me and told me about birthday club which was really good.

Then for christmas last year I fell in love with their retro kitchen in pale blue 50,s design with smeg type fridge in solid wood they did red version this year.
It was quite pricey new about £175 but was reduced to £100 which I went to buy online but they were waiting for more stock so just to ensure I got such a fab bargain I rang the customer service department and got through straight away.
Once again the lady was lovley and said it could take up to a week but to my surprise arrived 2days later!
Its a really good quality kitchen as its solid wood and will last daughter for years as well as stunning to look at and I can keep adding kitchen accesories each year.
I just wish I had full size version,warning took a while to build so build in advance.
They do some lovley kitchen accessories in wood or plastic and play food which has gone all posh this year and changed to m&s food!

Tying to chose my other favourite product is hard but

The bubble machine is fab particuarly in summer
We got the 1st trampoline which daughter loved.
The fairytale boothouse some great first dolls houses with intreactive lights and sound
The ELC till is fantastic
This christmas we got dolls house and some rosebud furniture which again will last daughter for years.

I must admit I prefer quality wooden toys that will outlive plastic and still look good.
I carefully consider the big purchases like dolls house and kitchen and felt they were great value which you can add to each year.

We often buy books at ELC as daughter loves the thats not my series and Sian Lloyds puppet books they stock.

We have brought craft stuff like paints and playdough as such good quality.

They also do foreign language cds which is really good that I keep meaning to get.

Early learning centre and mothercare are now part of the same company so you should be able to pick up some of ELC toys in mothercare too.

Overall im impressed, good range, reasonable prices, number of ways to shop in store or online, has good sales and discounts, good service and everythings age appropriate and hardwearing.
All the toys educational and good for child development.

If I were to think about a couple of negatives is the stores could do with being larger as they cram so much in and busy sat its my idea of hell so many exited kids crammed in.
They not great on availiability as this year wanted dolls house family and was sold out online and instore and refused to pay
silly ebay prices!

Summary: Great for preschool, ideal for gifts and good value ,quality and good service