Three M&S destination stores in the South East, Midlands and North East will be home to Mamas & Papas shop-in-shops, featuring over 700 products.
The partnership further expands the retailer’s Brands at M&S initiative, which continues to grow at pace.
One in four customers currently shop kidswear at M&S and customers will now be able to shop over 700 of Mamas & Papas’ bestselling products, including pushchairs, car seats and nursery furniture, to complement M&S’s existing family offer.
Mamas & Papas’ shop-in-shops format enables M&S customers to touch and feel the products before purchase. Launching as a store trial in three regions, locations include M&S Bluewater and Cheshire Oaks in October and Longbridge in November.
The shop-in-shops come complete with their own till points, as well as dedicated Mamas & Papas colleagues who will provide tailored, independent advice and recommendations to parents-to-be and families. The team will also be offering in-store services such as one-to-one personal shopping appointments and car seat consultations.
Richard Price, md of clothing and home at M&S, commented: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Mamas & Papas – a much loved brand with over 40 years’ experience. At M&S, we’re the number one choice for families when children start school and this new partnership fills a gap in our product offering to ensure we cater for families throughout parenthood.
“It was Mamas & Papas expertise and shared value for quality that made this partnership a no brainer to complement our baby and kidswear offering. We can’t wait to see our customers faces when they visit one of the bespoke Mamas & Papas shop-in-shops where they will find everything they would expect from the brand’s standalone stores, with the added value of shopping at M&S.”
Mark Saunders, ceo of Mamas & Papas, added: “We are proud to be joining the Marks & Spencer family as a new ‘Brand at M&S’. With their focus on supporting customers throughout life’s firsts, the synergy with Mamas & Papas, as we support families through the important milestones along the parenting journey felt like a perfect match. As a leader in sustainability and commitment to the planet through M&S’s Plan A initiative, we appreciate the share interest in implementing positive changes to protect the environment for future generations and demonstrating responsibility for the world around us – something close to our hearts at Mamas & Papas.
“With our goal to be the most accessible nursery brand on the high street, we’ll continue our commitment to investing in bricks and mortar, be expanding our successful concession business and in doing so, make the positive step in supporting M&S on their journey into the nursery category. We look forward to the beginning of a very exciting partnership.”
