I think threes a reason why they are available and stores are knowledgeable about them
Yes Nishy, there is a reason. It's because they are made by a large company with a large marketing budget with which to entice stores to stock their product and to "train" the staff in the product.

Many of the best baby carriers are home-made or made by work at home mums or small companies. They often don't advertise and many main-stream stores don't stock them (because they don't know about them - they only deal with large suppliers generally).

MamaD, great post and spot on.

Nishy, I'm glad that you are happy with your purchase, and if it's right for you that's great. Personally I loved my ring sling and highly recommend these. Everyone is different.