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Baby retailer launches franchise rollout

Sarah Stowe

Babies are big business, with Australians spending around $3billion on baby products and clothing a year*. Tapping into this, babies and kids store Minimee has launched its franchise rollout program to the Australian market.

Minimee founders Meri Mardon and Vesna Crumblin opened their first store in Leichhardt, Sydney, in 2006. The business has grown into two huge Sydney stores in Camperdown and Crows Nest and an online shopping portal which ships across Australia. Sales at the flagship franchise store at Crows Nest have more than tripled since the first year of operation in 2008.

Mardon said ‘”We have had constant enquiries from business owners and mothers who have wanted to set up a profitable baby business, but don’t want the risk of the unknown and the difficulty of breaking into the market.”

The retailer is one of the largest providers of baby brands in Australia, stocking more than 100 baby and child brands, such as BabyBjorn, Bugaboo, Phil and Teds, and Boori, to Mamas & Papas, Joolz, Storksak and Oeuf. The business offers in-store services including car seat fitting, demonstrations, package deals and VIP programs, as well as onsite nursery trained on all products and new baby safety developments.

DC Strategy, which is assisting Minimee with its franchise expansion, highlights the market for children’s needs for everything from baby goods, apparel, food and personal care to after school care, parties, education and recreation is growing. The total expenditure on baby products and services has increased by 14.5 percent over the past five years. Most parents spend on average more than $10,000 on their baby in the first year**.

The growth forecast is for 3.1 percent to 2017.

* (not including food and childcare) Source IBIS World

** Source babycentr