Member Article

Barnsley online baby goods retailer Direct2Mum opens first store after major investment

Following a period of accelerated business growth, online baby retailer Direct2Mum is celebrating after successfully opening its first ever store.

Direct2Mum is a family-run business, launched in 2010 by its chairman serial entrepreneur Prof Graham Leslie and his son and daughter, Alex Leslie and Fay Briddon.

The store opening is part of the company’s five year commitment to build the Direct2Mum brand in the retail sector. It received significant funding from investment company One Degree Capital in 2013, and earlier this year acquired nursery stockist Bambino Direct for an undisclosed six-figure sum.

The recent acquisition of Bambino Direct has meant an increase in its product portfolio to over 10,000, including 80 big name nursery brands.

Designed to make shopping easier, the store houses designated displays for its products, room sets showcasing its nursery furniture ranges, interactive demonstration areas illustrating how to take a car seat in and out of a car, plus a fun track for customers to test drive the prams, including grass, cobbles and tarmac surfaces.

The store will strengthen Direct2Mum’s existing online retail arm. While only a select few products will be on show in store, customers can access them all online. The store is also based in close proximity to its 100,000 sq ft warehouse.

Direct2Mum’s managing director, Alex Leslie, said: “The new Direct2Mum store is all about connecting customers with our products and enabling them to try before they buy.

“They may have already seen something they like online, but the store enables them to come in and see the products up close, but also take advantage of our experienced team that can provide guidance and advice on what’s best for them.

“We know that it can be daunting buying things for a baby, so we have worked hard to select only the best products and display them as clearly as possible. We want our customers to feel confident that what they are buying is of the highest quality and designed to last.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .