Three selected M&S destination stores in the South East, Midlands and North East will be home to Mamas & Papas ‘shop-in-shops’. The store openings follow the success of third-party brand partnerships with Early Learning Centre, Clarks and Smiggle.
1 in 4 customers currently shop kidswear at M&S and the retailer is the market leader for school uniform during Back to School. As part of the new partnership, M&S customers will now be able to shop over 700 of Mamas & Papas’ bestselling products, including pushchairs, car seats and nursery furniture; complementing its existing family offer.
With 65% of sales of nursery items completed in-store, the partnership will welcome Mamas & Papas’ ‘shop-in-shops’ format, enabling M&S customers to touch and feel the products before purchase.
Launching as a store trial in three regions across the UK, the ‘shop-in-shops’ come complete with their own till points. This is alongside dedicated Mamas & Papas expert colleagues, who will provide tailored, independent advice and recommendations to parents-to-be and families. The team will also be offering in-store services such as one-to-one personal shopping appointments and car seat consultations and fittings.
The baby and childrenswear market is now worth £6 billion and is expected to continue to grow by 4.1% in the next five years
The partnership with Mamas & Papas follows the success of Early Learning Centre, FAO Schwarz, Clarks, Hype and Smiggle, which have joined the M&S Family through ‘Brands at M&S’. Commenting is Richard Price, managing director of Clothing & Home at M&S.
“We’re delighted to be welcoming Mamas & Papas – a much-loved brand with over 40 years of experience. At M&S, we’re the number one choice for families when children start school and this new partnership fills a gap in our product offering to ensure we cater for families throughout parenthood.
“It was Mamas & Papas expertise and shared value for quality that made this partnership a no-brainer to complement our baby and kidswear offering. We can’t wait to see our customers’ faces when they visit one of the bespoke Mamas & Papas ‘shop-in-shops’ where they will find everything they would expect from the brand’s standalone stores, with the added value of shopping at M&S.”
Also commenting is Mark Saunders, CEO at Mamas & Papas
“We are proud to be joining the Marks & Spencer family as a new ‘Brand at M&S.’ With their focus on supporting customers throughout life’s firsts, the synergy with Mamas & Papas, as we support families through the important milestones along the parenting journey, felt like a perfect match.
“As a leader in sustainability and commitment to the planet through M&S’s Plan A initiative, we appreciate the shared interest in implementing positive changes to protect the environment for future generations and demonstrating responsibility for the world around us. Something close to our hearts at Mamas & Papas.
“With our goal to be the most accessible nursery brand on the high street, we’ll continue our commitment to investing in bricks and mortar, by expanding our successful concession business and in doing so, make the positive step in supporting M&S on their journey into the nursery category. We look forward to the beginning of a very exciting partnership.”
Brands at M&S continues to grow at pace. Over the last 12 months, 1.2 million customers have shopped third-party brands in selected stores and online.
