Mamas and Papas to open more stores after ‘record’ festive sales

High street nursery brand, Mamas and Papas, has seen its sales across stores, online and wholesale channels rise by a “record” 5% over the 13-week period to 29 December, driven by a strong performance from the retailer’s UK and overseas markets. Retail sales were up by 8% in the overall period, with Mamas and Papas reporting a sales peak of 13% over Black Friday week. The brand said its growth was driven primarily by its expanded toys and gifts category, its ‘Welcome to the World’ collection which includes coordinated toys, accessories and clothing ranges. As a result, the retailer is now planning a further 20 openings over the next 12 months to “tap into growing demand for its branded ranges”, including a new partnership with Australian department store, Myers. Despite heavy discounting across the retail sector, the business said it had maintained stronger prices over the period, which helped drive profit growth of 8%. As part of its international expansion plan, the group has already opened 29 overseas concessions over the past 18 months with El Corte Ingles in Spain, MAP Active in Indonesia and Central Department Store Group in Thailand. Mamas and Papas currently operates 40 UK concessions with M&S and Next, as well as 21 standalone stores. In December 2024, the retailer opened its “biggest ever” concession with M&S in Lisburn, near Belfast. Nathan Williams, CEO of Mamas and Papas, said: “This was another record golden quarter for the brand, with a particularly strong contribution from our bricks and mortar estate. We’re also seeing a growing momentum from our overseas business, where we’ve laid excellent foundations over the past 18 months with several key partners in our core markets. “Whilst the macroeconomic situation continues to weigh heavily on consumer sentiment, the enduring strength of the nursery and baby category and the growing presence of our brand in the UK and overseas gives us a lot of confidence in the year ahead.” In November 2024, the company reported an annual sales rise of 7.1% to £154.3m for the year to 31 March 2024 and a 27% jump in profits up to £13.2m.