talking shop This month we ask independent retailers their thoughts on the wheeled goods sector.
Sara Hubbard
WHITES FARM BABY BARN Do you feel we are seeing any particular trends with regard to wheeled goods? At the moment, everyone wants a ‘bundle’. We do try and remind customers that anything can be a bundle if you buy all the items together, but for a lot of people the ease of choosing just one big package can sometimes make the overwhelming experience of shopping for a pram a little simpler. We are seeing lots of customers asking for prams that can cope with rough terrain and long walks, especially with a second lockdown looming, long walks outside are all they can do!
PUSHCHAIR EXPERT THE SHOP Do you feel we are seeing any particular trends with regard to wheeled goods? We have seen lots of customers wanting to purchase ‘bundles’ online and I think that this has been magnified whilst the retail stores have been closed this year. Shopping for a ‘bundle’ is easy for the customer to understand but does not necessarily give them all the options - for example the different car seat compatibility with a particular pushchair. We have also seen more and more customers upgrading to an iSize bundle once they understand the benefits but this is harder to get across online than it is face-to-face of course. Do you feel consumers are looking at style more so than perhaps function?
Earlier in 2020 we would have said people were more interested in style than function, but we have seen a shift over the last few months. With the restrictions Covid-19 has placed on our day to day life people are more concerned with how well their pram performs rather than the style aspect - not many people are seeing their flash new wheels!
Whilst I think style is important, I do think that consumers are doing more and more research themselves before committing to a purchase and that style and function run hand-in-hand. This was especially true during lockdown whilst people were not working and had more time on their hands. However, customer’s do need to consider the style of their pushchair and whether they like the look of it - they are going to be using it for a considerable amount of time and there is little point purchasing something you do not like the look of. There are sooo many options available for the consumer that we can usually find something to suit their budget, lifestyle and style preference.
Why are brand names important in this category?
Why are brand names important in this category?
Do you feel consumers are looking at style more so than perhaps function?
In today’s world of social media, influencers and paid ad promotions so many of our customers can access certain brands and their following via social media channels. This makes them much more aware of brands that use a lot of their budget for online marketing campaigns. Its like anything, Costa, Zizzi’s and the like are more well known than smaller independent companies. Do you feel we have sufficient innovation when we look at prams, pushchairs and strollers? Innovation is always a good thing, but it needs to serve a practical purpose too. With parents-to-be becoming ever more price-savvy we are seeing them choose practical functions and sensible options over ‘gimmicks’ - so as long as the innovation solves a common problem found by most parents, we feel it is justified. Is price a consideration - what attributes do you feel consumers are currently searching for? Customers are considering price, but understand that the pram that works best for them and that they like the best aesthetically may be slightly more expensive than anticipated. Everyone in every industry looks for a good saving, and if prams can come in bundles with a saving applied its even better for them. Customers are searching for a product that suits their lifestyle best, with features they’ll get the most use out of and will fit easily into their daily routine. Do your customers have a particular product in mind prior to ordering or visiting your store? Quite a few of our customers do, however its difficult to get the full picture of a pushchair online, so many come into an appointment and end up changing their mind after trialling a few models. As always, social media plays a role in way of showing customers what is popular. Is this a sector that is researched prior to purchase? Yes! Especially with the first lockdown at the start of this year and people unable to a) leave their homes or b) visit pram stores to see the products first hand, they have turned to the internet to research their models before contacting us to place their orders/ask further questions. Unfortunately the pandemic has changed the shopping experience of many, but we are trying to keep it just as exciting and wonderful as before!
18
JoStudholme
nursery today
It is the same with any industry, parents like a name / brand they recognise. We find that people will travel to see in store a certain brand that they have heard of, but that once they have seen everything else on offer, that this is not necessarily the brand they leave the store with! Even if the consumer does not have the budget for a particular ‘high-end’ brand, they often want to ‘window shop’ before making a final decision. Do you feel we have sufficient innovation when we look at prams, pushchairs and strollers? There is ALWAYS room for innovation in every category as long as it is not innovation for innovation’s sake. I LOVE new products and LOVE innovation. A few years ago we saw the wide spread introduction of compact fold strollers and this has remained popular in this category and I imagine it will for sometime. Innovation-wise in this category, I would like to see improved rain covers please! Is price a consideration - what attributes do you feel consumers are currently searching for? Yes price certainly is a consideration when consumers are looking for pushchairs and strollers - parents have time to research and the internet allows them to ensure that they are getting the ‘best price’. I am surprised how many people in store have their mobile phones out and are searching the internet before they commit to a purchase. We will always price-match like for like and openly offer this in store to reassure them that we offer the best value and are happy to price match. Do your customers have a particular product in mind prior to ordering or visiting your store? Yes - as I mentioned earlier consumers have generally done some or, in some cases, a lot of research through reading reviews, watching videos and of course asking friends and family. Some parents just know that they want a travel system, others will come in with a wide ‘catch-all’ criteria such as they want a grey pushchair and others will know exactly what they have in mind or will have narrowed it down to a few makes and / or models. Is this a sector that is researched prior to purchase? Yes - lots! We can see this through website analytics, social media and customer feedback in store.