Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Nursery products continue to grow
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- Figure 1: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail sales of nursery and baby equipment, 2012-22
- Decline in UK birth rates
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- Figure 2: Number of live births in the UK, 1960-2016
- Wheeled goods driving growth, but furniture declines
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- Figure 3: Sales of nursery and baby equipment, by share of sector, 2017 (est)
- Companies and brands
- Innovations
- Embracing digital
- The consumer
- Car seats and wheeled products key items
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- Figure 4: Nursery/baby equipment purchased, December 2017
- Specialist and online retailers preferred
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- Figure 5: Retailers used for purchasing nursery/baby equipment, December 2017
- Gifting is a large part of the sector
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- Figure 6: Percentage of items received as a gift or hand-me-down, December 2017
- Baby products are perceived by most to be overpriced
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- Figure 7: Consumer attitudes towards nursery and baby products, December 2017
- Lock to keep pushchairs safe most wanted innovation
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- Figure 8: Consumer interest in innovations for nursery and baby equipment, December 2017
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- The market is growing, but growth is slowing
- The facts
- The implications
- Embracing online is key
- The facts
- The implications
- Opportunities in the market
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Nursery products continue on growth trajectory
- The future is uncertain
- Wheeled goods driving sector growth
- Nursery furniture share declines
- Specialist chains’ share of market increases
- Dip in 2016 birth rates
- Weakened Sterling has led to rise in prices
- People living in smaller spaces
Market Size and Forecast
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- Nursery and baby equipment market continues to grow
- Second-hand market
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- Figure 9: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail sales of nursery and baby equipment, 2012-22
- The future
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- Figure 10: UK retail sales of nursery and baby equipment, at current and constant prices, 2012-22
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Key points
- Spend by sector
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- Figure 11: UK sales of baby and nursery equipment, by category, 2017 (est)
- Wheeled goods now make up a third of the market
- Car seat growth slows
- Convenience important for feeding and sterilising equipment
- Nursery furniture struggling
- In-home safety benefits from technology innovations
- Highchairs and seats suffer from price competition
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- Figure 12: Sales of nursery and baby equipment, by share of sector, 2017 (est)
Channels to Market
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- High street struggling
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- Figure 13: Distribution of spending on nursery & baby equipment, by type of retailer, 2015-2017 (est)
- Mothercare increases share of nursery and baby equipment
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- Figure 14: UK estimated distribution of spending on nursery & baby equipment, by type of retailer, 2015-17
- Market becomes increasingly fragmented
Market Drivers
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- Birth rate dips 0.3% in 2016
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- Figure 15: Number of live births in the UK, 1960-2016
- Possible effect Brexit will have on birth rates
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- Figure 16: EU countries, pre and post-1990, 2018
- Fertility rates see small decline in 2016
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- Figure 17: Total fertility rate (number of children per woman), 1990-2015
- Average age of mothers increases to 30.4 years
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- Figure 18: Women’s aspirations for the next three years, by age, October 2016
- More adults are remaining childless
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- Figure 19: Family size distribution of women born between 1945-71 who are assumed to have completed their childbearing, 2016
- Figure 20: Plans to start a family in the future, by household income, August 2014
- Fears over Brexit led to increase in product prices
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- Figure 21: Sterling to US Dollar exchange rate chart, by month, 2013-18
- Lack of space puts pressure on parents
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- Figure 22: Number of households, by tenure – 16-44-year-olds, 2008/09-2015/16
- Figure 23: Attitudes towards the family home, by tenure, May 2016
- Influence of online forums
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- Figure 24: Sources of information, by gender, July 2017
- Real wages continue to fall
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- Figure 25: Average weekly earnings (total pay) vs inflation, January 2016-November 2017
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Digital strategy a must
- Mamas & Papas’ experiential retailing
- Increase in multifunction products
- Lightweight pushchairs
- Reclining car seats
- Advertising spend reduced by 56%
- Chicco tops list of advertising spend
Competitive Strategies
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- Digital and social media strategy
- Mamas & Papas: Digital First
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- Figure 26: Advice section on mamasandpapas.com, 2018
- Hello Baby goes from pureplay to physical retailing
- Mothercare’s digital transformation
- Use of influencers
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- Figure 27: Social and media networks used, by presence of children, March 2017
- Acquisitions
- Smaller brands concentrate on sleep accessories
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- Figure 28: Sweet Dreamers Baa Baa Blankie, 2018
- Experiential retailing
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- Figure 29: Interest in additional services offered by department stores, by presence of children, May 2017
- Mamas & Papas: Case Study
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- Figure 30: Mamas & Papas Westfield London, 2016
- Figure 31: Mamas & Papas One Four Four store, 2016
- Babies “R” Us: Purely transactional
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Safety first
- Maxi-Cosi launches child car seat with airbags
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- Figure 32: Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Air i-Size, 2018
- Sleep safely
- Brizi pollution protector
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- Figure 33: Brizi inserted in pushchair, 2018
- Groegg 2 nightlight
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- Figure 34: Gro egg 2 thermometer nightlight, 2018
- Buggy and stroller innovations
- Cybex Gold: Eezy S Twist
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- Figure 35: Cybex gold collection: Eezy S Twist, 2018
- Triple buggy
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- Figure 36: Joovy Qool buggy, 2018
- Compact is key
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- Figure 37: Maxi-Cosi Laika, 2018
- Bugaboo Fox
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- Figure 38: Bugaboo Fox when folded, 2018
- Transformers
- Valeto suitcase highchair
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- Figure 39: Valeto part suitcase, part highchair, 2017
- Travel changing bag
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- Figure 40: POD travel changing bag, 2017
- Joie Multiply highchair
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- Figure 41: Joie Multiply 6-in-1
- Litecup
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- Figure 42: Litecup, 2017
- Chicco Baby Hug 4-in-1
- SleepSpace
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- Figure 43: BabyHub’s SleepSpace travel cot turned tepee, 2018
- Customisation
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- Figure 44: Customisable Tripp Trapp, 2018
- Sport-led equipment
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- Figure 45: Stokke athleisure collection, 2018
- Collaborations
- Rachel Zoe x Quinny
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- Figure 46: Rachel Zoe x Quinny Luxe Sport collection, 2018
- Silver Cross royal connections
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- Figure 47: Silver Cross Reflex, in collaboration with Aston Martin, 2018
- Figure 48: Marie-Chantal for Silver Cross, 2018
- iCandy for Land Rover
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- Figure 49: iCandy for Land Rover, 2017
- Maxi-Cosi Star Wars
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- Figure 50: Maxi-Cosi Rodi Star Wars seat, 2017
- Cybex x Jeremy Scott
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- Figure 51: Cybex x Jeremy Scott, 2018
- Technology and apps
- Nokia Thermo
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- Figure 52: Nokia Thermo, 2017
- Liv Cam
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- Figure 53: Liv Cam, 2017
- Convenience
- Hands-free feeding
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- Figure 54: FeedingBuddy, 2018
- Figure 55: SnüzPouch, 2017
- Fully reclining car seat
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- Figure 56: Joie i-Level, 2017
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Reduction in advertising spend
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- Figure 57: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on nursery and baby equipment, by advertiser, 2013-17
- Chicco is the biggest spender
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- Figure 58: Chicco Next2Me crib, 2018
- Mamas & Papas focuses on digital advertising
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- Figure 59: Mamas & Papas Instagram page, 2018
- Gender stereotyping
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- Figure 60: Mothercare ELC cleaning range, 2018
- Bugaboo: move freely
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- Figure 61: Bugaboo Move Freely campaign, 2017
- Mothercare #welcometotheclub
- Almost half of top advertisers prefer TV campaigns
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- Figure 62: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on nursery and baby products, by media type, 2017
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Nursery furniture more likely to be purchased by affluent parents
- 89% purchased products from new
- Specialist and online retailers top places of purchase
- 56% receive gifts from family members, but only 20% use gift list
- Four out of five agree that baby products are overpriced
- Mums go online for advice
- Safety top concern
- High interest in product to keep pushchairs safe
Items Purchased
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- Car seats and wheeled products key items
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- Figure 63: Nursery/baby equipment purchased, December 2017
- Popularity of side-sleeping cribs
- Car seats more likely to be purchased by those in towns
- Baby furniture purchased by more affluent parents outside London
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- Figure 64: Percentage of parents with children aged 0-4 who bought nursery furniture, by location, December 2017
- Nine in 10 purchased products as new
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- Figure 65: Items purchased new or second-hand, December 2017
Where Nursery and Baby Equipment Has Been Purchased
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- Specialist and online retailers preferred choice
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- Figure 66: Retailers used for purchasing nursery/baby equipment, December 2017
- The role of specialists in the market
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- Figure 67: Free 4D scan offer, 2016
- Those living in rural locations far more likely to purchase online
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- Figure 68: Channels used to purchase nursery/baby equipment, by location, December 2017
- Majority buy from more than one retailer
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- Figure 69: Repertoire of retailers used for purchasing nursery/baby equipment, December 2017
Role of Gifting
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- Over half of parents gifted items by family members
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- Figure 70: Percentage of items received as a gift or hand-me-down, December 2017
- Only one in five use gift list
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- Figure 71: How gifts were received, December 2017
- Younger parents more likely to have baby shower
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- Figure 72: How gifts were received, by age, December 2017
- Wealthier parents more likely to have baby shower and a gift list
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- Figure 73: How gifts were received, by socio-economic status, December 2017
Attitudes towards Nursery and Baby Equipment
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- Four out of five people think baby products are overpriced
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- Figure 74: Consumer attitudes towards nursery and baby products, December 2017
- Two thirds of parents trust online communities for recommendations
- Mums more likely to go online for advice
- Younger parents drawn to branded product
- Those living in urban locations want space-saving products
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- Figure 75: Nursery and baby equipment purchasing behaviours – CHAID – Tree output, December 2017
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- Figure 76: Nursery and baby equipment buying behaviours – CHAID – Table output, December 2017
- Methodology
Interest in Innovations
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- Health and safety are number one concerns
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- Figure 77: Consumer interest in innovations for nursery and baby equipment, December 2017
- Increase in reliance on apps
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- Figure 78: Baby Feed Timer, breastfeeding tracking app, 2018
- Figure 79: Baby Monitor 3G app, 2018
- Mums more interested in product to keep buggies safe
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- The Baby Products Association
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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