Interview with Solution International’s CEO Mark Mcloughlin

For those not yet familiar with Solution International – could you briefly describe the company, your business model, and how you position yourselves within your market?

Solution International started in 2008, and we initially focused on producing private label baby products for baby specialists, and later for major supermarkets in the UK. Over the years, we’ve worked with well-known retailers such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

What really defines us is reliability. We are fully audited, our products are tested, and quality is always a top priority – which is crucial in the baby category. That’s also why many large retailers come back to us year after year.

Today, we offer a wide range of baby and children’s products, including bottles, soothers, plates, bowls, potties and bath products. Historically, our model has been warehouse-to-retailer distribution, but we’re now also expanding into more direct-to-consumer products as buying behaviour continues to evolve.

Solution International operates within the baby and child products segment, with a mix of proprietary brands and licensed products. What do you see as the key growth drivers within your product portfolio today?

We operate across three broad areas. First, we do private label – meaning products that carry the retailer’s branding. Second, we work with licensed products, including brands such as Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig, and we have products under our own brands.

In terms of growth drivers, it’s really a combination of a few things. One important driver is expanding our channels. We originally built the business around supplying supermarkets through one main route, but now we’re also supplying more directly to consumers, which reflects how buying behaviour has changed.

Another key driver is international expansion. Right now, around 80% of our business is in the UK and about 20% in Holland, but we’re planning to grow further into Europe through our European office.

We’re also using what we’ve built in terms of manufacturing, sourcing, design, testing and audits across additional product categories. A lot of products are made in similar factories and require the same kind of quality and compliance work, so we see clear opportunities to expand the model both geographically and into new categories.

Retail partnerships and distribution seem central to your strategy. How do you work with large retailers and what factors are most important for scaling sales across different markets?

When working with major retailers, certifications and audits are essential. Without that, you simply can’t supply them. But once you have that foundation in place, you can work much more closely with retailers on developing new ranges and new product categories. We sit on a number of industry boards and associations and are seen as product experts by our customers. This combined with operational reliabilty is the key to scaling the business.

The company has gone through a strategic transformation in recent years. How has this transition shaped your current priorities and operational focus?

Historically, we were focused on a more narrow focus – one specialist product area and mainly one channel into supermarkets. Today, we’re supplying multiple channels and multiple product categories.

That means our priorities are increasingly centred around scaling what we already do well, and building on our strengths of our quality and assured delivery. At the same time, we’re looking at ways to improve efficiency, including using AI to streamline how we operate.

As you expand internationally, what markets or regions do you see as most interesting in the near to medium term, and why?

Our focus is on Europe. That’s where we see the most relevant opportunities in the near term.

Scandinavia is interesting, because there are strong retailers there that fit well with our product offering. We also see potential in markets such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We feel we can take the model and capabilities we already have and replicate them in those regions.

Looking ahead, where do you see Solution International one year from now?

More products, more channels, and more digital. We want to be further along in direct-to-consumer and continue building the business in that direction.

Finally – can you give three reasons why Solution International is an interesting company to follow at this stage?

When I think about it, I would actually summarise it into two key reasons.

First, we have strong authority and credibility within the baby category, which is one of the most demanding product areas to supply into retail. Quality and reliability matter a lot, and we’ve built a strong track record there.

Second, we have a operational platform that is efficient and scalable. We can take what we do today and expand it into additional product categories and markets, while keeping operations strong and reliable.