Cool Mum Hunting, providing shortcuts for busy parents. We are always searching for must haves, must dos and gotta trys.

There’s a Buyby Boom going on!

Cool Mum Hunting’s guide to making the most of the new parent to parent marketplace…

 Now I’m happy to shop in ‘Primarni’ for myself but when it comes to my kids, I’m a brand addict (and it doesn’t just stop at their clothes). But I’m not alone. Even in belt-tightening times where austerity is the new virtue, there’s one thing the GBP (that’s Great British Parent) finds it hard to scrimp on – their kids.

 We’ve all heard that annual survey calculating it costs hundreds of thousands to raise a child (£201,809, apparently). But whilst disposable incomes are dwindling, our desire for pricey designer prams (and the rest) seems to continue apace. Pre-baby we’d have set our hearts on accessorising with a Mulberry Alexa, now we’re all about £300 nappybag arm candy (independent boutique Mummy & Little Me reports sales of designer changing bags are 300 times higher than in 2006).  

 So, to balance what we want for our kids (/ourselves?) with what’s best for our bank balance, British parents are turning wheeler dealer. We’re using a combination of big value buys, second hand savvyness and sales skills Lord Sugar would be proud of, to kit out our kids from nought – adulthood….for less. Despite some major baby retailers apparently feeling a slight recession pinch, the new parent-to-parent market is thriving. That’s right, Britain’s parents have started their own ‘Buyby Boom Economy’ (we reckon the market is worth £210 million pa and will grow a further 30% in 2011)….. Continue reading…