What are parents looking for when purchasing a travel system, pushchair or car seat? And what governs their decision on where and what to buy? PPS teamed up with consumer magazine Project Baby to dig into the data.
Project Baby’s online survey saw parents offer their feedback on a range of subjects relating to their wheeled goods and car seat retail experiences, both positive and (occasionally) negative.
Store draws
A majority of respondents (62.5%) had chosen to make their purchase from a brick-and-mortar store, while 37.5% shopped online. Parents who visited a shop in person cited a range of reasons for doing so: a driver for 66% was the chance to watch a product demonstration, while staff expertise was important to 40%. The opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ appealed to 46%, while in-store events were named as factors by 6% of buyers, and in-store offers by 20%.
Online enticements
Promotions were the biggest draw for online buyers, with 69% reporting being swayed by them. Multi-product bundle deals (15%), product availability (23%) and product range (15%) were also deemed attractive. Some respondents mentioned easy home delivery as being important in their decision to purchase online.
Prioritising safety
Unsurprisingly, safety was cited by 100% of parents as their chief consideration when buying a car seat. Some parents mentioned that they looked for additional safety accreditation, favouring Swedish Plus Test and ADAC-approved models.
When it came to purchasing a pushchair or travel system, safety was less of an issue (25%), with other factors such as quality (18%), value for money (25%), how long a baby/child can stay in it (25%) and ease of use (6%) also mentioned.
Decisions, decisions…
A number of factors that can affect a purchase decision have already come into play before a parent enters a shop or logs onto a website. Chief among these is familiarity with the brand, named by 56% as an influence. 31% look to friends and family, or parenting websites, for advice before purchasing. However, in-store advice can still hold sway, being cited as a major influencer for 50% of respondents.
Rating the retail experience
Overall, respondents who bought goods in store were positive about their purchasing experiences, giving an average score of 7.8 out of 10 for their sales assistant’s product knowledge. One respondent pointed out that for first time parents, a quick once-over of the key features that differentiate travel systems from each other would be useful, as a starting point on what to look out for. There is room for improvement when it comes to product demos, however, with 42% of car seat buyers reporting not being shown how to fit the model in their vehicle.
KEY INFLUENCES ON PARENTS’ PURCHASES:
Familiarity with the brand: 56%
In-store advice: 50%
Online forums/parent & baby websites: 31%
Advice from friends/family: 31%
Social media influencers: 12%
Online advertising: 12%
The full version of this article appears in Progressive Preschool’s Ultimate Guide to Travel Systems and Car Seat Retailing 2025.
