Mamas & Papas, a leading high street nursery brand, has reported record sales of £154.3m for the 12 months to 31st March 2024 as new and expectant parents flocked to the retailer’s growing estate of stores and concessions.
Sales across its 36 UK concessions (as of March 2024) with M&S and Next grew 48% in the period thanks to six additional destinations as well as the full-year sales impact from 15 new locations opened in the prior year.
The Huddersfield-based company, which designs and sells travel systems, nursery furniture and baby products, said it would continue to fill gaps in its retail estate to make the brand more easily accessible to customers across the UK and build its market share, which has more than doubled over the last four years.
It opened its biggest ever concessions in Cardiff earlier this year within Marks & Spencer stores, benefitting from the retailer’s footfall whilst providing a full baby and nursery range for its customers and access to its in-store advisors.
Mamas & Papas also operates 28 overseas concessions with El Corte Ingles in Spain, MAP Active in Indonesia and Central Department Store Group in Thailand, with more planned for the year ahead with new and existing partners to help it tap into demand for British designed nursery and baby products.
The retailer, founded by husband-and-wife duo David and Luisa Scacchetti in 1981 with a single store in Huddersfield, has also expanded its product ranges within Christmas gifts and toys, with the business set for its biggest Christmas trading period yet.
Meanwhile, its increased focus on more sophisticated data-driven marketing is enabling the brand to identify customers at specific stages of their pregnancy based on due dates to give more tailored support and product advice.
Nathan Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Mamas & Papas, said: “We are extremely proud to be delivering these numbers and what we are achieving with this great Brand. Last year we saw the benefits of our investment in the brand and the business, with profitable sales growth from our key retail and e-commerce channels.
“What is really exciting is that as our data capabilities increase, we’re increasingly able to tailor support for parents and be even more helpful at critical points of their pregnancy journey. Getting even closer to our customer represents a major area of focus and opportunity as we deliver our purpose to inspire and support parents to be the best they can be.”
“We’re also continuing to focus on new international partnerships as we globalise our brand, building on the momentum we’ve already created overseas. And there are still a lot of pins on the UK map where we see huge potential to bring our range to more customers and make us the most accessible brand in our market.”
The company, which employs around 1,000 people, also said its increased focus on ESG commitments, was helping it win new customers. Last year, it expanded its ‘Loved for Life’ initiative, which provides services to reuse, refresh or recycle items such as pushchairs and baby clothes, as part of its circularity plan. Almost 500 preloved pushchairs have been sold since April this year.
It also operates a take-back scheme under its partnership with charity Oxfam which helps to reduce the amount of clothing sent to landfill each year and this partnership has so far diverted two tonnes of baby clothing.
In October, it launched a new partnership with Tommy’s, the UK’s leading pregnancy research charity, which includes awareness training for all in-store and customer care colleagues delivered by Tommy’s midwives. To help raise much needed money for Tommy’s it has also partnered with Pennies, the digital micro donation platform.
