Bella Katz on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

In the UK, Mothercare holds the enviable position of being a brand synonymous with new mums as the number one destination for all things baby and toddler-related. When they announced they were to launch in Australia, my first thought was how on earth will they differentiate themselves in such a saturated market? Well they have and I’ll tell you how…

As a mother of two young kids, one of whom is very new, I join my compatriots in including Chadstone Shopping Centre on my regular baby outing itinerary. When the only way to get your baby to sleep is by having the pram on the move for hours, Chadstone offers much-needed coffee, mindless entertainment, clean feeding-room facilities and an escape from either end of Melbourne’s extreme weather.

For those who live in Melbourne and know Chadstone, the shopping centre has redefined its baby and children’s section following the cosmetic facelift and expansion. I’ve written previously about Pumpkin Patch and its brand decline in the eyes of mums (suffering from Perma-Sale Syndrome for starters. Read the comments to this article and you’ll get a good idea of perception vs reality). Well, Mothercare is at the other extreme right now and been very clever about its Australian market entry.

My mother-in-law has worked in Mothercare London for a number of years and I know the retailer from my time there. Their ELC Kids educational toys have been available in Australia for years and many of them are fantastic, however the clothing is very middle of the road. It’s not higher end designer like Big or Country Road and it’s not cheapie quick ‘n easy like Best and Less or Target. It sits in what’s often thought of as that dangerous middle ground.

My first visit to the store was with little expectation and more out of solidarity to my mother-in-law than for potential custom. It quickly turned into a surprisingly memorable retail experience.

How are Mothercare different from numerous other kids’ retailers? These 3 things stood out to me right away:

1. They have a lot of very experienced staff who are quickly on hand to advise you. And unlike other shopping experiences where you’d rather be left alone, new mums are often desperate for advice and some friendly words (from another adult).
2. The woman who greeted me at the door made a friendly comment about how young my baby’s cry sounded (3 weeks at the time) and introduced herself as a midwife who was there every week and could offer advice beyond the retail, she also told me that
3. There is a baby change room always available in the back of the store with all the facilities I’d need. (I checked it out, it’s super clean, private and stocked with complimentary wipes etc).
   

Those three things right there, coupled with the store stocking all the fundamentals for both a new and more experienced parent, stand them out beyond their retail origins. They have successfully positioned as a source of parenting information and an easy one-stop-shop for any mum.

It’s always a pleasant surprise to come across a business that fills a need that you hadn’t yet defined for yourself.

Bella Katz on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre has opened its luxury wing to massive crowds. So massive in fact that rather than risk a riot, management started and finished a voucher promotion at 5am on opening day.

Yesterday, a beautiful sunny day, the queues to Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Tiffany, Chanel… were more than 30 deep with security staggering people allowed through the door. By all accounts it has been a veritable success.

Today, a rainy Melbourne day, Luxury has a different story and the new marble floor is dotted with blue plastic buckets as rain, rather than sunlight, pours through that designer glass ceiling.

I wonder what Karl Lagerfeld, Patrizio di Marco et al would have to say about that…