Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Products covered in this report
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Nursery products see positive growth
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- Figure 1: Best - and worst-case forecast of UK retail sales of nursery and baby equipment, 2010-20
- Birth rates dip 0.4% in 2014
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- Figure 2: Number of live births in England and Wales, 2010-14
- Companies and brands
- Specialists struggle
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- Figure 3: Distribution of spending on nursery & baby equipment, by type of retailer, 2015
- Brand research
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- Figure 4: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, December 2015
- Innovation
- The consumer
- Mothers are the main buyers
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- Figure 5: Items of nursery and baby equipment purchased for children aged 0-4, November 2015
- 80% receive items as gifts
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- Figure 6: Agreement with statements about nursery and baby equipment, November 2015
- Specialists most popular among ABs
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- Figure 7: Retailers where nursery and baby equipment was bought from, November 2015
- Low prices most important factor
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- Figure 8: Most important factors when choosing which retailer to buy from, November 2015
- Online is the preferred method of shopping
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- Figure 9: Preferred method of shopping for nursery and baby equipment, November 2015
- Fathers prefer products with latest technology
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- Figure 10: Agreement with statements about nursery and baby equipment, November 2015
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- How has the market performed?
- The facts
- The implications
- What can specialist retailers do to drive purchasing of nursery and baby equipment?
- The facts
- The implications
- What are the opportunities for growth in the sector?
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Nursery products see positive growth
- Car seats drive growth
- Birth rates dip 0.4% in 2014
- Rising average age of mothers
- Breastfeeding rates grow year-on-year
- Parents see improving finances
Market Size and Forecast
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- Nursery products see positive growth
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- Figure 11: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail sales of nursery and baby equipment, 2010-20
- The future
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- Figure 12: UK retail sales of nursery and baby equipment at current and constant prices, 2010-20
- Forecast methodology
Market Drivers
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- Birth rate dips 0.4% in 2014
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- Figure 13: Number of live births in England and Wales, 2010-14
- Drop in fertility rate
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- Figure 14: Total fertility rate, England and Wales, 2005-14
- Rising average age of mothers
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- Figure 15: Trends in the mean age of mothers at birth of their first child, England and Wales, 2005-14
- Slowest growth projected for the number of 0-4-year-olds
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- Figure 16: Percentage change in the age structure of the UK child population, 2010-20
- Breastfeeding rates grow year on year
- Rocketing childcare costs add to financial pressures
- Childcare places increase, providers decrease
- Parents are the main car owners
- Spending remains cautious
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- Figure 17: Top categories in which parents spent more compared with last year, by children’s age, January 2015
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Specialists struggle
- Online retailers steal market share
- Connected nursery system
- Designer collaboration pushchairs
- £0.5 million uplift in advertising spend
- Mothercare is the most trusted brand
- Mamas & Papas is seen as worth paying more for
Channels of Distribution
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- Specialists struggle
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- Figure 18: Distribution of spending on nursery & baby equipment, by type of retailer, 2015
- Online retailers steal market share
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- Figure 19: UK estimated distribution of spending on nursery & baby equipment, by type of retailer, 2013-15
- New entrants to the market
Competitive Strategies
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- Financial outlook
- Retail offering and brand positioning
- Digital activity
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Product launches
- Connected nursery system
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- Figure 20: Motorola and Hubble Connected
- 3-in-1 baby carrier
- Obaby’s versatile stroller
- Free box targeting mums and mums-to-be
- Organic mattress protector
- Nursery furniture designed for modern urban living
- Designer collaboration pushchairs
- Retail innovations
- Mothercare’s in-store play areas
- Responsive website launch
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- £0.5 million uplift in advertising spend
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- Figure 21: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on nursery and baby equipment, 2011-15
- Chicco tops the list of advertisers
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- Figure 22: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on nursery and baby equipment, by advertiser, 2011-15
- Television advertising surges in 2015
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- Figure 23: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on nursery and baby equipment, by media type, 2015
- A note on adspend
Brand Research
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- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 24: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, December 2015
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 25: Key metrics for selected brands, December 2015
- Brand attitudes: Mamas & Papas is seen as worth paying more for
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- Figure 26: Attitudes, by brand, December 2015
- Brand personality: Mothercare suffers from an unappealing image
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- Figure 27: Brand personality – Macro image, December 2015
- Britax associated with durability
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- Figure 28: Brand personality – Micro image, December 2015
- Brand analysis
- Britax enjoys highest recommendation levels
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- Figure 29: User profile of Britax, December 2015
- Mamas & Papas boasts stylish and socially-responsible image
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- Figure 30: User profile of Mamas & Papas, December 2015
- Mothercare: The most widely-used and trusted
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- Figure 31: User profile of Mothercare, December 2015
- Graco needs to increase exposure
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- Figure 32: User profile of Graco, December 2015
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Mothers are the main buyers
- Seven in ten buy new car seats
- 80% receive items as gifts
- Supermarkets most popular place of purchase
- High levels of online purchasing
- Low prices most important factor
- Online is the preferred method of shopping
- Online seen as cheapest option
- Fathers prefer products to have latest technology
What Items Consumers Have Purchased
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- Mothers are the main buyers
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- Figure 33: Items of nursery and baby equipment purchased for children aged 0-4, November 2015
- Seven in ten buy new car seats
- Pram versus baby travel system
- C1s buy most items
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- Figure 34: Repertoire of items of nursery and baby equipment purchased for children aged 0-4, November 2015
Statements Related to Nursery and Baby Equipment
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- 80% receive items as gifts
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- Figure 35: Agreement with statements about nursery and baby equipment, November 2015
- Older parents receive second-hand items
- Engaging fathers
Where Nursery and Baby Equipment were Bought
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- Specialists most popular among ABs
- Supermarkets shoppers are drawn to low prices
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- Figure 36: Retailers where nursery and baby equipment was bought from, November 2015
- High levels of online purchasing
- Repertoire
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- Figure 37: Repertoire of retailers where nursery and baby equipment was bought from in-store, November 2015
- Figure 38: Repertoire of retailers where nursery and baby equipment was bought from online, November 2015
Factors Influencing Purchases
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- Low prices most important factor
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- Figure 39: Most important factors when choosing which retailer to buy from, November 2015
- ABs look for wide choice of brands and good delivery
- Older parents look for staff expertise
Preferred Method of Shopping for Nursery and Baby Equipment
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- Online is the preferred method of shopping
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- Figure 40: Preferred method of shopping for nursery and baby equipment, November 2015
- Getting advice online
- Stores used to compare quality
Attitudes towards Nursery and Baby Equipment
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- Online seen as cheapest option
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- Figure 41: Agreement with statements about nursery and baby equipment, November 2015
- Convenient products
- ABs drawn to well-known brands
- Fathers prefer products with latest technology
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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