Australian baby goods retailer Baby Bunting Group says it plans to open 10 stores in New Zealand, however its debut here has been delayed by the Covid pandemic.
In a presentation accompanying the company’s first half-year results, CEO and MD Matt Spencer said while its launch is later than planned, the introduction of the brand’s new loyalty program – ‘Baby Bunting family’ – is complete.
In its Australian home market, the baby goods chain recorded sales of $239.1 million, up 10 per cent, with same-store sales up 6.8 per cent. Net profit after tax was $8.1 million, up by 12.2 per cent.
Online sales rose by 32.6 per cent to $56.8 million. Click and Collect sales surged 46.4 per cent and accounted for 59 per cent of online sales in areas where the company has a physical store. With so many online shoppers thus heading to stores to collect their purchases, about nine in every 10 sales by the retailer included a store visit.
“Given our growth over the last two years, we will review our store network plan to assess opportunities and leverage our digital headless architecture to enhance our online experience and expand our range of products.
“As the strength of our offer grows and our customer engagement increases, we will assess the broader A$5.1 billion baby goods market for the future long-term growth opportunities,” said Spencer.
The group opened new stores in Alexandria and Wagga Wagga (NSW), Shepparton (Vic) and Cairns (Qld) taking the network to 64 stores in Australia.
