Training cups fall firmly into the second category. Less than 1 in 10 parents say the most recent training cup they bought was after researching the market first and buying the one they thought was best. Seven out of ten just bought one they found in the shop.

The purchase approach is largely similar to many other FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) categories. The majority of people make the choice at the point of purchase and most people buy the cups on their way through large retailers like supermarkets (61%), Mothercare (16%) or other large national retailers (14%).

Unfortunately for the independent nursery retailer very few people (3%) buy training cups from them. Only 15% of Mums don't use training cups at all and those that do buy several for their children. Some of the parents questioned had bought more than 10 training cups (9%) - though two thirds had bought 5 or less.

While little research is made into which training cup to choose, there are still factors that affect the parent's choice at the point of purchase.

Convenience seems to be the main consideration - knowing it wouldn't leak or spill was the most appealing feature for 83% of Mums and knowing it was easy to clean and fill were important too (74%). Price and design features like bright colours or wellknown characters were less likely to be swing the decision with less than a quarter of Mums saying these factors were important.

Given they are buying for babies around 6 months or older pester power (with the latest Disney design in high demand) is less likely to be a factor… just wait until they have to buy the first school lunch box!

Survey data courtesy of Wilkinet. If you would like similar answers on your product category then contact Gideon on 01926 812880 or email: gideon@wilkinet.com