Family-owned Online4Baby has been delivering exceptional quality and value to families around the UK for over 37 years.
The Oldham-based nursery e-commerce business is proud to announce the next step in its evolution by rebranding to The Nursery Store (www.thenurserystore.com).
Company history
Online4Baby was launched by sisters Christy Foster and Cheryl Blayds in 1987, but it was an inauspicious start. The two Manchester-born-and-bred women had significant personal challenges to overcome, including Christy’s neurodiversity and a difficult home environment. But rather than let these challenges hold them back, they used them to propel themselves forward.
The business had its self-funded beginnings on a market stall in Salford, before moving online to eBay, where Christy and Cheryl became the first UK-based female eBay millionaires.
Today, the business creates and contributes considerable money to the Greater Manchester economy. The workforce is 40+ strong; revenue in the first half of 2024 was up 25% compared to last year; and they have an annual income of £40 million.
It’s still family-owned, with Christy, Cheryl, and their husbands, Darren and Warren, actively running the day-to-day.
About the business
With an unrivalled range of nursery products from market-leading brands like Puggle, iCandy, Mamas and Papas, Tommee Tippee, Ickle Bubba and Joie, The Nursery Store is set to continue the legacy of Online4Baby, expand upon it, and help generations of new families to start their story.
The Nursery Store Chief Executive Officer, Christy Foster, said: “Family will always remain at the core of our business. I’m so proud that the business Cheryl and I started almost four decades ago is making a real difference to families, and the economy of the North-West. The rebranding to The Nursery Store will allow us to continue providing families with accessible pricing on a wide range of high-quality products that make their lives safer, more enjoyable, and stress-free. This modernisation will provide an easier-than-ever shopping experience for them, and provide a solid foundation for us, our partners, both existing and new, to grow and thrive from.”
The Nursery Store unlocks further growth opportunities for the business
Already one of the largest independent nursery retailers in the UK, changing to The Nursery Store repositions the business in the market, building a brand with enough breadth to speak to customers at all price points without losing an existing reputation for outstanding pricing.
Modernising the brand whilst retaining the heritage, trust and credibility they’d built up over the course of nearly four decades was a challenge. To help create their new high-end, modern look and feel, they kept things local and teamed up with an award-winning branding agency. Particular attention has been paid to creating a stress-free, transparent and enjoyable shopping experience, and becoming a trusted source of information for all things baby.
Chief Marketing Officer, Toby Gavin, said: “The rebrand is really about how we better convey our heritage and expertise to customers, to build long term trust and credibility in the market. We’ve seen strong growth this year, and we’re excited to drive the business further and faster with this rebrand. This transformation is a strategic leap forward, and we’re really excited about the opportunities it unlocks.”
With these changes in place, The Nursery Store now has a solid foundation to build the next exciting phase of the company on. With a view to building brand awareness and credibility, this will yield improved conversion rates, create a market-leading shopping experience for their customers, and help generations of new families to start their story.
The Nursery Store is thrilled to continue strengthening its collaborations with its existing partners but is equally excited at the prospect of inviting new brand partners to join in the next phase of growth. This will help everyone involved reach new market segments, create fresh growth opportunities, and engage new family audiences.
