What else could independent retailers do to be a more attractive proposition for new parents?

The Wilkinet Survey – The voice of the consumer
Published: 01 August, 2007 in Nursery Industry Magazine: http://www.nursery-industry.co.uk/news/search.php?_FB%5Bq%5D=wilkinet

When a first time mum discovers they are pregnant they become a customer with several thousand pounds to spend, spread over two to three years. Winning and retaining a customer right at the beginning of the buying cycle can be very lucrative. One in 4 women in the early stages of pregnancy (under 20 weeks) say they have already bought their pushchair and car seat (and one in 6 have bought a baby carrier).

In many areas of the UK parents have their second ultra-sound scan in or around their 20-week mark (this is usually the scan where you can find out the sex of the baby). For most first time parents this is when the shopping really starts in earnest.

In previous columns I've touched on the services people say would make them more likely to shop at their local independent shop. There are two statistics that are particularly relevant to retaining new customers.

Nearly 1 in 3 first time pregnant women say they would be interested in a combined package for a set fee and 51% say they would like to see loyalty discounts from their local retailer.

While you may not be able to afford a percentage discount off every purchase you could take their contact details on their first visit and offer to send them updates on product/seasonal offers.

If you take their email address at the same time this offers a simple, low cost follow-up opportunity. There are lots of tools available - my personal favourite is a company called Aweber.

You don't need a website (although if you do it's a useful way to drive repeat purchase) and you can choose to have the system send them a sequence of pre-written emails over the course of several weeks and months or 'broadcast' a message to everyone on the list about a time sensitive offer.

With many first time mums starting their baby-shopping spree immediately after discovering they're pregnant it's important you plan for customer retention by offering a great shopping experience and a plan to follow up and keep them away from your competitors.

Gideon Wilkins