Babies remind us of love and happiness. Not so much about rules and money matters. Still, it is interesting to know what parents go for when shopping for baby supplies. Where do we get it from? The Chamber of Commerce compared consumers in the Netherlands and Belgium. In doing so, she came across an interesting trend among our southern neighbors, which may have a golden future in the Netherlands: the birth list. Finally a way to ensure that you make the most of your baby gifts in a practical and economical way during the happy anticipation. How and what? Read more… When we think of the ‘baby’ theme, we don’t often think about the economic side of things. Rightly so, because happiness, love and togetherness as a couple are more important themes. Yet it appears that a desire to have children does indeed have an economic aspect. According to statistics, experiencing good economic times means that a society also sees more babies appear! That is not without reason. Baby equipment is expensive, and it is sometimes estimated that a child by the age of 18 has cost the parents roughly a grand. All the more relevant is the question of where parents get their baby supplies from, and whether quality and price are at odds. Research by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce sheds light on the matter.

Quality or price?

How are the southern neighbors doing? Well, pretty much the same as us. It’s a crisis. But economic gloom or not, Belgians appear not to be switching to cheaper baby products. When it comes to the question of whether Belgians buy a product or not, quality is one of the most important purchasing arguments for our southern neighbors. But what is quality? The Dutch see certain baby brands as quality brands, while that quality predicate does not apply in Belgium. The quality criterion is therefore not so much objective as subjective…

Where do we buy baby supplies? Facts and numbers

• The Dutch baby market is dominated by large chains
• In Belgium, small independent specialty stores still represent 35% of the total market.
• Belgian parents who supply their birth lists to baby specialty stores provide these retailers with approximately 40% of their turnover.
• Small baby specialty stores therefore rely on a local customer base; Because the birth lists provide clarity about what needs to be purchased for the customer, the store can limit its stock

The birth list: Belgian discovery spreads to the Netherlands

Baby specialty stores are doing very well in Belgium, it turns out. The small independent baby specialty store still occupies a large part of the market in its southern neighbors. 35% of purchases for babies are made at the specialty store. Moreover, Belgians are very loyal to one baby specialty store. All of this is largely related to the adoption of the so-called birth list in Belgium. The birth-what? The birth list can be compared to the marriage list. Very smart actually. The looming danger of having to receive twenty salt and pepper sets at your wedding is often overcome by drawing up a list of items that you do want. The couple often links this list to one specific store, so that wedding guests do not arrive en masse with one and the same gift. The birth list, popular in Belgium, is similar. And voilá, that is also the answer to the question of how baby specialty stores achieve such good turnover in this country. The birth list accounts for 40% of the turnover of baby specialty stores!

How does a birth list work?

In short and in general, a birth registry works as follows. You contact a store that provides this service. These are already available in the Netherlands, it is a matter of surfing the web or asking around in the area. Then you can shop for a nice nice package of wish list items. People you invite to your own personal web pages on the list can see here what you would like to receive and select it. An item once selected disappears from the list of options for other axis visitors. And with that, the danger of receiving ten of the same ugly burp cloths also disappears. Handy, right? 

The Netherlands shops online

In the Netherlands, baby web shops are more popular than baby specialty stores. This may be due to the fact that this handy birth list is only just beginning to emerge in the Netherlands. However, the same web shops appear to be doing well in Belgium as well as in the Netherlands. While Belgians like to shop at small retailers, we Dutch mainly seek refuge at large chains and we do not show much loyalty to a single baby store.

The research: how and what

This article is based on the market study “The Belgian market for baby products” published by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce for Belgium and Luxembourg (NKVK). The study maps the baby sector, gives a sense of the trends and tendencies and points out interesting differences between the Belgian and Dutch markets. The study ‘The Belgian market for baby products’ is one of the market reports that the Dutch Chamber of Commerce has developed for Belgium and Luxembourg. The market reports map the Belgian market in terms of various sectors. Reports are available within the clusters ‘Baby & Toys’, ‘Construction’, ‘Health’, ‘Clothing & Shoes’, ‘Environment’, ‘Process Industry’ and ‘Food’. The market studies can be ordered via www.marktstudies.be . 

In Belgium you pay more for baby equipment

No matter how heavily we (think we) are affected by price increases in the Netherlands, our southern neighbors still pay more for baby products. This may have to do with the fact that the always frugal ‘Ollanders’ pay more attention to the price, and according to research, a Belgian pays more attention to good quality and service. But having a store is also more expensive in Belgium than in the Netherlands. Not only because of higher retail rents, but also – you wouldn’t think of it! – because you really have double marketing costs for the Belgian market – after all, the country is bilingual….

The Dutch Chamber of Commerce for Belgium and Luxembourg (NKVK)

The Dutch Chamber of Commerce for Belgium and Luxembourg (NKVK) strives to be the first point of contact for groundbreaking business within the Benelux. The NKVK informs Dutch entrepreneurs in Belgium, offers them a local networking platform in Belgium and develops market studies and reports. The NKVK has been active on the Belgian market for 110 years. Knowing more? Surf to www.nkvk.be.