Parents push pram sales to new heights

You can never – well, rarely – be too posh to push a buggy, according to new research which reveals that sales of prams and pushchairs have increased by a healthy 13% over the last two years. Despite being squeezed by the recession, the UK's parents-to-be last year splashed out a whopping £225m on prams and pushchairs, meaning that they now account for 30% of total expenditure on baby and nursery equipment. The new research from Mintel shows that while new parents may be happy to use secondhand clothes and toys for their new offspring, the vast majority still want to buy brand new when it comes to prams and buggies, as well as key equipment like mattresses. That makes the sector one that has boomed even in the more difficult economic times. Many of us are happy to buy the most economically priced and best-rated model from Mothercare. But at the top end of the market, the must-have Bugaboo and the classic Silver Cross favoured by celebrity mums such as Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Liz Hurley and Sarah Jessica Parker have given some brands a cult status. John Lewis said sales of buggies overall were up 11% over the last year, with aspirational brands such as Bugaboo selling particularly well. All eyes will be on Victoria Beckham this summer after she gives birth to her fourth child – confirmed by David Beckham this week to be a girl – and her choice of baby transportation. The Beckhams are fans of designer Bill Amberg's luxury leather slings and baby papooses. Jane Westgarth, senior consumer analyst at Mintel, said: "Style and design have been key factors in helping to drive growth in spending on baby and nursery goods. Celebrities with high-end brand-name prams for their offspring have helped to popularise stylish and funky designs for wheeled goods and some brands have managed to acquire an almost cult status in the baby world and command high prices for the image-conscious parent in the park." She said 'multi-functionality' was important for today's busy parents: "Within the sector, prams that incorporate a clip-on infant car seat are currently performing particularly well because of the convenience of use and the lack of disturbance when moving the child in and out of the car - high on the list of priorities for every sleep-deprived parent." The research also found that expenditure on nursery furniture grew by 10% between 2008 and 2010 to reach £137m. And it is not just the traditional items filling the nursery these days, with technology increasingly taking a place alongside the changing mat. The survey showed that nearly one fifth (17%) of parents of children aged four and under have purchased a TV for their baby or child to go in their bedroom, rising to 28% of parents aged 15-24.