Baby Nursery Furniture - A Booming Market!
Teresa Schahczinski
Baby Nursery Furniture - A Booming Market!
Baby nursery furniture and baby crib sets are a growing category, representing $1.1 billion at retail last year, and expected to grow to $1.4 billion by 2009. Today's baby furniture varies quite a bit in style, price and selection, and at over a billion dollars, there is room for a wide range of manufacturers in the nursery furniture field.
There are many top manufacturers in the nursery furniture category. The baby furniture category includes nursery furniture for children from birth through 2 years, including painted baby furniture, nursery crib furniture, bassinets, a baby table for changing diapers, glider rockers, rocking chairs, dressers, chests, armoires and bookcases. Basically anything you would purchase at a baby store while furniture shopping.
Although most of the parents claimed that they mostly shopped at discount stores they admittedly would make more extravagant purchases at a specialty baby store if there was something they really wanted. A Gen X mom talked about children strollers. She paid $300 for a stroller because she liked the features. So if a parent is willing to spend $300 on a stroller which is typically a smaller ticket item in comparison to nursery furniture what are they willing to spend on a nursery crib, an item that's use is far more than the use of a stroller. Things like blankets, strollers, a nursery crib mattress, a toddler bed and accessories or items that would be bought for nursery gifts or baby gifts, or furniture for children over the age of 2 are not included in the category being discussed as leading infant bedroom furniture manufacturers. This is primarily nursery furniture for babies 2 and under in the strictest sense of the word.
According to Kids Today's exclusive Buying Trends Survey, 2.2% of U.S. households bought a nursery crib in 2004, and 2.7% bought other baby furniture. The median price point for a nursery crib in 2004 was $150, with those consumers planning to buy a nursery crib in 2005 saying they planned to spend a median of $200. Even still, 18% of consumers who bought a nursery crib in 2004 paid $500 or more.
What this tells me is that although 18% of parents purchasing a nursery crib probably planned to purchase practically but when push came to shove they were willing to spend on average and extra $300 above and beyond what they initially planned to spend. Why is this? Is it because we are seduced by all the new-fangled cribs such as the newer style of the round crib and the BRAND-NEW Corner cribs (shaped to fit in a corner)? It is common knowledge that the median prices of these specialty cribs cost much more than the traditional rectangle cribs. As far as infant furniture goes round baby cribs are a fairly new concept. I do not even remember them being available when I had my first child. Since a separate room for a baby nursery is not always an option some parents feel that the round baby cribs and corner cribs which is a new concept is the way to go, they are both big space savers.
It could also be because parents are willing to purchase the top of the line 3-in-1 cribs in hopes that they will save money in the long run? Or quite possibly is it because parents will spend just about anything on their children, trying to provide everything they were never given?
Obviously a nursery crib is the most important purchase you will make for your child...along with the rest of the nursery furniture. Nursery Furniture Manufacturers know this and cater our need to give our child "everything". That is why nursery furniture and nursery crib sets are such a booming market!
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About the author: Teresa Schahczinski is a frequent contributor to Best Baby Furniture. For more Articles and tips on Selecting Childrens Furniture, Baby Cribs and Kids Furniture visit Nursery Furniture