Baby Nursery Furniture - A Booming Market!
Baby Nursery Furniture - A Booming Market!
Baby nursery furniture and baby crib sets are a growing
category, representing $1.1 billion at retail last year, and
expected to grow to $1.4 billion by 2009. Today's baby furniture
varies quite a bit in style, price and selection, and at over a
billion dollars, there is room for a wide range of manufacturers
in the nursery furniture field.
There are many top manufacturers in the nursery furniture
category. The baby furniture category includes nursery furniture
for children from birth through 2 years, including painted baby
furniture, nursery crib furniture, bassinets, a baby table for
changing diapers, glider rockers, rocking chairs, dressers,
chests, armoires and bookcases. Basically anything you would
purchase at a baby store while furniture shopping.
Although most of the parents claimed that they mostly shopped at
discount stores they admittedly would make more extravagant
purchases at a specialty baby store if there was something they
really wanted. A Gen X mom talked about children strollers. She
paid $300 for a stroller because she liked the features. So if a
parent is willing to spend $300 on a stroller which is typically
a smaller ticket item in comparison to nursery furniture what
are they willing to spend on a nursery crib, an item that's use
is far more than the use of a stroller. Things like blankets,
strollers, a nursery crib mattress, a toddler bed and
accessories or items that would be bought for nursery gifts or
baby gifts, or furniture for children over the age of 2 are not
included in the category being discussed as leading infant
bedroom furniture manufacturers. This is primarily nursery
furniture for babies 2 and under in the strictest sense of the
word.
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 a
nursery crib in 2004 was $150, with those consumers planning to
buy a nursery crib in 2005 saying they planned to spend a median
of $200. Even still, 18% of consumers who bought a nursery crib
in 2004 paid $500 or more.
What this tells me is that although 18% of parents purchasing a
nursery crib probably planned to purchase practically but when
push came to shove they were willing to spend on average and
extra $300 above and beyond what they initially planned to
spend. Why is this? Is it because we are seduced by all the
new-fangled cribs such as the newer style of the round crib and
the BRAND-NEW Corner cribs (shaped to fit in a corner)? It is
common knowledge that the median prices of these specialty cribs
cost much more than the traditional rectangle cribs. As far as
infant furniture goes round baby cribs are a fairly new concept.
I do not even remember them being available when I had my first
child. Since a separate room for a baby nursery is not always an
option some parents feel that the round baby cribs and corner
cribs which is a new concept is the way to go, they are both big
space savers.
It could also be because parents are willing to purchase the top
of the line 3-in-1 cribs in hopes that they will save money in
the long run? Or quite possibly is it because parents will spend
just about anything on their children, trying to provide
everything they were never given?
Obviously a nursery crib is the most important purchase you will
make for your child...along with the rest of the nursery
furniture. Nursery Furniture Manufacturers know this and cater
our need to give our child "everything". That is why nursery
furniture and nursery crib sets are such a booming market!