Baby Nursery Furniture - A Booming Market!
By Teresa Schahczinski, Fri Dec 9th
Baby nursery furniture and baby crib sets are a growingcategory, representing $1.1 billion at retail last year, andexpected to grow to $1.4 billion by 2009. Today's baby furniturevaries quite a bit in style, price and selection, and at over abillion dollars, there is room for a wide range of manufacturersin the nursery furniture field.
There are many top manufacturers in the nursery furniturecategory. The baby furniture category includes nursery furniturefor children from birth through 2 years, including painted babyfurniture, nursery crib furniture, bassinets, a baby table forchanging diapers, glider rockers, rocking chairs, dressers,chests, armoires and bookcases. Basically anything you wouldpurchase at a baby store while furniture shopping.
Although most of the parents claimed that they mostly shopped atdiscount stores they admittedly would make more extravagantpurchases at a specialty baby store if there was something theyreally wanted. A Gen X mom talked about children strollers. Shepaid $300 for a stroller because she liked the features. So if aparent is willing to spend $300 on a stroller which is typicallya smaller ticket item in comparison to nursery furniture whatare they willing to spend on a nursery crib, an item that's useis far more than the use of a stroller. Things like blankets,strollers, a nursery crib mattress, a toddler bed andaccessories or items that would be bought for nursery gifts orbaby gifts, or furniture for children over the age of 2 are notincluded in the category being discussed as leading infantbedroom furniture manufacturers. This is primarily nurseryfurniture for babies 2 and under in the strictest sense of theword.
According to Kids Today's exclusive Buying Trends Survey, 2.2%of U.S. households bought a nursery crib in 2004, and 2.7%bought other baby furniture. The median price point for anursery crib in 2004 was $150, with those consumers planning tobuy a nursery crib in 2005 saying they planned to spend a medianof $200. Even still, 18% of consumers who bought a nursery cribin 2004 paid $500 or more.
What this tells me is that although 18% of parents purchasing anursery crib probably planned to purchase practically but whenpush came to shove they were willing to spend on average andextra $300 above and beyond what they initially planned tospend. Why is this? Is it because we are seduced by all thenew-fangled cribs such as the newer style of the round crib andthe BRAND-NEW Corner cribs (shaped to fit in a corner)? It iscommon knowledge that the median prices of these specialty cribscost much more than the traditional rectangle cribs. As far asinfant furniture goes round baby cribs are a fairly new concept.I do not even remember them being available when I had my firstchild. Since a separate room for a baby nursery is not always anoption some parents feel that the round baby cribs and cornercribs which is a new concept is the way to go, they are both bigspace savers.
It could also be because parents are willing to purchase the topof the line 3-in-1 cribs in hopes that they will save money inthe long run? Or quite possibly is it because parents will spendjust about anything on their children, trying to provideeverything they were never given?
Obviously a nursery crib is the most important purchase you willmake for your child...along with the rest of the nurseryfurniture. Nursery Furniture Manufacturers know this and caterour need to give our child "everything". That is why nurseryfurniture and nursery crib sets are such a booming market!
