Mamas & Papas to open more concessions with Next

Mamas & Papas is to open more concessions with Next following strong footfall and sales at its newly launched sites since retailers in the UK were allowed to reopen last month.

The British nursery and childrenswear retailer will open a 2,000 square foot space in Next’s store at Brent Cross Shopping Park on May 17 followed by a similar sized location at a store in Milton Keynes Central Retail Park on July 30.

It will bring the retailer’s total number of concessions to nine.

The new concessions will stock Mamas & Papas’ ranges of travel systems, nursery furniture and children’s clothing, and will also have in-store experiences such as personal shopping appointments, car seat consultations, fittings, and click and collect.

Mamas & Papas opened its first Next concession in November 2018 at Bristol’s Cribbs Causeway. Last year, it opened concessions at Sheffield’s Meadowhall and Manchester’s Arndale.

The company said trading at its standalone store estate has surpassed expectations in the four weeks since non-essential retail re-opened in the UK, while its online business “delivered consistently strong sales growth throughout the pandemic”.

Mamas & Papas chief operating officer Nathan Williams said the concession partnership with Next has so far performed “exceptionally well for both parties”.

“Physical retail space remains an important pillar of our multi-channel growth strategy alongside our online business,” he said in a statement. “Feedback from our customers shows they value the opportunity to touch and feel our products and the consultative experience that our specialist assistants provide in-store.”