We're concentrating on our website
Julie of Olivers in Winchester

I would say we position our store somewhere towards the top end of the market, but that's not to say that price isn't important to our customers. Perhaps it would be fairer to say that our customers are looking for good value. The way we sell has changed a lot over the last couple of years. For a long time we fought against the internet, but then we realised that the whinging had to stop and we had to move with the times. Saturdays were often spent demonstrating products and then Mondays would be spent answering the phone to customers who told us that they had liked what they had seen but that they had looked on the internet and had found the same products cheaper and would we match the price? When we wouldn't, they'd say thanks for your time and that would be it.

We have spent substantially on a website as we felt that the cheap packages were not what we needed. We also decided to only open the shop from Monday to Friday and close on Saturdays. We never did open on a Sunday. Things were a bit tight initially and we thought that we might have to reverse that decision. However, I was serving a customer when she started chatting about her brother in law. Apparently they were expecting and she had suggested that they should come down for the weekend and 'spend the day in Olivers.' Apparently we are so knowledgeable that we could tell him everything he needed to know. That may have sounded complimentary but then she said, “I told him he needn't buy anything, just find out what to buy off the internet.” We here to run a business not give out free advice.

Our staff like not working on a Saturday. They are all family people - that's why we employ them! I can honestly say the lack of Saturday trading doesn't appear to have affected our bottom line. Overall things are quite buoyant. In general, internet prices have risen somewhat thanks to the action of certain suppliers. Now our sales are 50% store and 50% internet with internet sales rising significantly. I think we have come out of the other side. The future is looking good.

We focus on giving our customers advice
Hayley Sylvester of Baybiz in Hendon

We work by appointments only. We get our clients mainly by word of mouth but also through recommendations through hospitals, midwives, etc. although we don't have formal links with any of them. We also get calls from mums who have seen us on the various supplier websites, but we don't have a website of our own. The consultation usually takes place in the evening or at weekends and for first time mums it will last between two and two and a half hours. We go through everything they need and then email them a shopping list. Our clients are mainly local professionals and although we sell mainly the premium brands, it's not exclusively so. We can get anything that our customers want. The average spend is between £2000 and £3000 but we have had mums ring up and ask for a couple of training cups. That's no problem either. We deliver everything to the customer's house and assemble where necessary and show them how things work if they need it. It is very much a personal service, tailored to what they need. There is no additional charge for the service and we charge around the recommended retail price for what they buy. If there are any special offers we will pass that on to our customers. It's a family run business and we're doing very well!

It's the shopping experience that matters
Tracey Jones of Nursery World in Cleveleys

The impression that a customer gets when they walk into the store is vital. The days of the pile 'em high are gone. Customers don't want to root around to find what they want in a pile of things. Over the last few years, we have been having fewer and fewer products on the shop floor - but much better displayed. Display well and customers will buy into the lifestyle. We have pushchairs complete with car seat and footmuff together and often mums will buy the whole package. The term is 'up-selling through visual merchandising'! We see it in stores selling clothes where customers not only buy the outfit displayed on a mannequin but also the accessories used. I also think that it is important never to stand still. We are always changing the store around, so that there is always something new to see. Even though we are planning a major refurbishment later this year, our displays are regularly moved around, revamped and replaced at regular intervals so the store is always looking different. If a product isn't moving we get rid of it; everything has to earn its space. The store has got to look fresh and inviting. A new coat of paint and some good lighting can make a big difference.

We invest heavily in staff training. This isn't just improving product knowledge but also skills such as merchandising. Some of the training is done in-house, sometimes with reps and agents. We've also bought in third party training which we find to be a good investment. It takes both money and commitment to train staff but it is quickly repaid. We chose our staff for their personality, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. We can then provide them with the tools that they need to be successful.

Our prices are competitive but if I search hard, I can invariably find it cheaper in the internet. However, we find that if we ask them to bring in the evidence of the cheaper price and we'll discuss, they'll often say they might as well buy now. We have set parameters in what staff can offer customers so they can decide on whether to make on offer and how much. Often it's simply the gesture, the acknowledgement that they are spending a significant amount of money. Our website is mainly for those who have been into the store. Some travel considerable distances to visit us and they don't always want to order on that visit. The website is showing a nice steady growth which is pleasing.

People buy off people
Jan Stewart of Jan Stewart Prams in East Kilbride

Customers say it's a joy to walk in here. We have a pretty showroom. It's divided into two - one for wheeled goods and one for furniture. We have to remember that when a customer walks in they have come to you and it's up to you to give them the service that they need. I think the key to our success is the staff. I pay pretty well and we do lots of training. We have a very low rate of turnover with low absenteeism. I've never had to fire anyone. We work as a team. We all enjoy what we are doing and are selfmotivated. I employ people to specific jobs so they can specialise in knowing everything there is to know about a product area. We have meetings once a week where we discuss what is happening - problems that have occurred, successes, new products, anything really. We have a workshop here where we have every single spare possible for every single item. Derek does a wonderful job and can solve most problems on the spot. He goes on all the training sessions and his knowledge is outstanding. This way we can give the customer the best service possible. This is often enough to persuade them to buy. I will price match any retailer but not the internet. Some customers are focused on price and I know they will buy on-line. Others listen to my reasons for buying here. Even if they don't buy they will often talk to their friends and recommend us and those friends may well buy from us because they will have come here for the service. Word of mouth is the most effective important form of advertising.

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