Kids’ havens help parents’ retail therapy
More and more shops, eateries and other outlets making effort to accommodate kids
From on-site creches and kids’ clubs to play rooms and child minders, child-friendly retailers are on the rise. Far from just a box of toys in the corner at the doctor’s surgery, savvy retailers are thinking smarter with new ways to keep children occupied while their parents shop, work out, eat, and get a haircut or even a spot of pampering.
At Dutch Delight, a specialty Dutch restaurant and grocer in Birkenhead on Auckland’s North Shore, owner Willem van der Velde saw a need to keep kids happy because it meant relaxed parents and satisfied diners.
“For kids it’s so boring to be in a restaurant, they have to sit the whole time. When kids start running around it makes it hard for the parents and also for the rest of the customers.”
So he developed an entire room dedicated to children of all ages, with reading books, colouring in books, fancy dress, tables, couches, a TV with kids’ movies, and plenty of toys.
A parent and grandfather himself, Mr van der Velde said now the only time children cry in his restaurant is when they have to leave.
At Mint Beauty Therapy in Te Awamutu a new “mummy morning” was the brainchild of owner and firsttime mother Jen Roxburgh.
For three hours on the first Tuesday morning of every month,
A caravan inside the cafe will soon be filled with toys, books, chalk boards, and fairy lights and a new mothers’ corner is coming. Children can also watch through a window as Kohu Road icecream is made.
The Treehouse Children’s Creche offers free childcare to preschoolers while parents shop at the mall. Has a swing inside the salon and kids’ playground outside.
Well known as kids-friendly coffee house. Play space and lots of toys. Features a playground with giant blocks for the children, inside play area, petanque and a chess board, and a parents room. only mothers with children can book appointments. And while mum gets pampered, her child or children are looked after by Mrs Roxburgh and another beauty therapist.
“I didn’t realise how intimidating it could be to take your child in to get your hair done or even a quick beauty treatment . . . that’s why I came up with the concept of mummy mornings.” Mint turns one of its treatment spaces into a play room complete with toys, play mats, balloons, and books, and $2 from every mummy appointment is donated to Te Awamutu Plunket.
Mummy mornings began only three months ago but Mrs Roxburgh said it was already proving popular.
Mother Kathryn Horton said the idea meant she did not have to find someone else to look after daughter Sophie, 11 months, or try to squeeze beauty therapy into her working day as a part-time legal executive.
AUT senior lecturer of marketing and retail Helene Wilkinson said the trend was growing as retailers realised how important it was to enable shoppers to remain in store and make stress-free decisions. “It’s really intelligent of retailers to do it. It’s retailers cottoning on to the fact we need to facilitate the way that people shop.”
Mrs Wilkinson said building strong relationships was also behind the trend. “We need to enable them to spend more time in store to make good decisions that support that whole loyalty to the retailer.’’