Despite ongoing economic global uncertainly and continually rising costs, nursery retailers both large and small remain resilient and future-focused, adopting new strategies and embracing fresh ideas to attract customers and drive growth. PPS finds out more.
“The customer is king” is a well-worn phrase, but one that’s especially relevant for independent retailers operating in tough economic conditions.
“Every year we say the same thing: we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our customers who support us not only through shopping with us, but also recommending us to their friends, families and work colleagues,” says Alan Finney, of Finney’s Pram and Nursery Specialist in Newry. “A lot of our customers come as we are a family-run business who really care, and try to make each experience personal. We want to offer the best customer service we can as we know how overwhelming buying baby goods can be, especially for first time parents.”
2024 was “a big year of learning,” Alan says, with a chief takeaway being the power of social media to attract new customers.
“We have seen how useful social platforms can be in getting both our name and products out to a wider audience. We’ve been working on building our presence online and we’ve seen an increase in sales because of it.”
For Susannah Irving, associate director of Bumpstart Baby Shop in Milton Keynes, the personal touch is also crucial. “We believe parents choose us because we provide a warm, knowledgeable and reassuring shopping experience. Unlike larger chains and online-only competitors, we are fortunate to have a spacious display area that offers a wide range of brands, allowing our customers to enjoy a real ‘hands-on’ experience. We also pride ourselves on offering some little extras, such as flexible interest-free payment plans, free storage, exclusive products and in-store-only bundles that are often unique to Bumpstart, and offer customers more value for money and convenience.”
Like Alan, Susannah has found that expanding the shop’s presence on social media has helped engage with a new customer base. “It really pleases me when I hear from a customer ‘Oh, I found you on TikTok!’,” she says. “Additionally, we’ve hosted more in-store events to engage with our community and showcase all the products and services we have on offer.”
According to David Winstanley of Winstanleys Pramworld, there are three key words that drive the company’s retail proposition: range, service and value. “We strive to give our customers a wide range of products, at competitive prices, backed up with excellent customer service,” he explains.
In late 2023, Winstanleys Pramworld set ambitious growth plans that were successfully achieved in 2024, and 2025 will involve staying goal-focused while remaining agile and open to new strategies, David says. “We plan to increase our investment in paid social media advertising and continue enhancing our two stores and website. A strong promotional calendar, supported by our brand partners, will be a key focus throughout the year.”
Key growth areas for Winstanleys Pramworld include extended rear-facing car seats, travel strollers and entry-level products, reflecting evolving consumer priorities for safety, convenience and affordability. “Additionally, we’re launching our own brand in 2025 – it’s an exciting milestone that reflects our commitment to innovation and growth,” says David.
Working with its suppliers to ensure its customer offering is “just right” helped John Lewis achieve its fifth consecutive year of record sales last year, up 7% on the previous year. The retailer achieved a particularly strong performance in the Travel category, which includes wheeled good and car seats. Partner and buying manager Roseanne Winthrop explains: “We are uniquely placed for a couple of reasons. One is our extensive range of John Lewis own-brand products, as well as those from customer favourites such as Bugaboo, Silver Cross and Maxi-Cosi. The second is our impartial advisory service called All Things Baby; parents can make a free virtual or in-store appointment with a nursery expert, who will offer advice tailored to the customer’s lifestyle and budget.” The service is proving hugely popular, with nursery experts having delivered over 20% more in-store appointments last year than the year before.
Value is top of mind for parents right now, and in September, John Lewis relaunched its Never Knowingly Undersold brand promise. “It reaffirms our commitment to customers on quality, service and price,” says Roseanne. “Never Knowingly Undersold has been reimagined for how customers shop today – price matching 25 major UK retailers in store and now online with the help of AI technology.”
Successes aside, the retail sector continues to face some tough challenges.
“One of the biggest we face is price competition from large online retailers and direct-to-consumer brands,” says Susannah Irving. “To tackle this issue, we work closely with suppliers, encouraging them to offer competitive pricing specifically for physical stores, provide exclusive products that aren’t available online, and offer discounted or complimentary display stock. Additionally, we highly value collaboration on in-store events and online marketing initiatives, such as co-branded content. With the right strategy of support and collaboration from our suppliers, we can work together to drive more consumers to stores, boost sales and significantly enhance the overall customer experience.”
Alan Finney also believes suppliers have a part to play in helping smaller retailers compete with the big hitters, pointing out that 10% off trade price, 20% off RRP supplier deals, where both supplier and retailer take a hit, rarely work in the retailer’s favour. “At £50 trade and £100 RRP, it means £45 trade and £80 RRP – a 30% reduction for the retailer, while the supplier has only lost 10%. But unless we all come together on it, I can’t see it changing.”
An extended version of this feature appears in Progressive Preschool’s Ultimate Guide to Travel Systems and Car Seat Retailing 2025. To read the full publication, click here.
Top: Winstanleys Pramworld has stores in Stoke (pictured) and Wigan.
