Date published: 04 September 2024
The Nursery Store business co-founders Christy (left) and Cheryl
Family-owned Online4Baby has been delivering exceptional quality and value to families around the UK for over 37 years.
Now the Oldham-based nursery e-commerce business has announced the next step in its evolution by rebranding to The Nursery Store (www.thenurserystore.com).
Online4Baby was launched by sisters Christy Foster and Cheryl Blayds in 1987, but it was an inauspicious start.
The two Manchester-born-and-bred women had significant personal challenges to overcome, including Christy’s neurodiversity and a difficult home environment.
But rather than let these challenges hold them back, they used them to propel themselves forward.
The business had its self-funded beginnings on a market stall in Salford, before moving online to eBay, where Christy and Cheryl became the first UK-based female eBay millionaires.
Today, the business creates and contributes considerable money to the Greater Manchester economy.
The workforce is 40+ strong; revenue in the first half of 2024 was up 25% compared to last year; and they have an annual income of £40 million.
It’s still family-owned, with Christy, Cheryl, and their husbands, Darren and Warren, actively running the day-to-day.
With a range of nursery products from market-leading brands like Puggle, iCandy, Mamas and Papas, Tommee Tippee, Ickle Bubba and Joie, The Nursery Store is set to continue the legacy of Online4Baby, expand upon it, and help generations of new families to start their story.
Christy said: “Family will always remain at the core of our business.
“I’m so proud that the business Cheryl and I started almost four decades ago is making a real difference to families, and the economy of the North-West.
“The rebranding to The Nursery Store will allow us to continue providing families with accessible pricing on a wide range of high-quality products that make their lives safer, more enjoyable, and stress-free.”
Both Christy and Cheryl are actively involved in giving back to their local community, throughout Greater Manchester.
As Online4baby, the business has worked with local charities and food banks, and recently donated £10,000 to local youth zone charity Mahdlo.
Christy is also actively working with Mahdlo to bring some much-needed funding to this worthy cause.
This dedication to the area in which they grew up and built their business will continue as The Nursery Store grows.
Already one of the largest independent nursery retailers in the UK, changing to The Nursery Store repositions the business in the market, building a brand with enough breadth to speak to customers at all price points without losing an existing reputation for outstanding pricing.
Modernising the brand whilst retaining the heritage, trust and credibility they’d built up over the course of nearly four decades was a challenge.
To help create their new high-end, modern look and feel, they kept things local and teamed up with Stockport-based design and brand agency Create8.
Particular attention has been paid to creating a stress-free, transparent and enjoyable shopping experience, and becoming a trusted source of information for all things baby.
Chief Marketing Officer, Toby Gavin, said: “The rebrand is really about how we better convey our heritage and expertise to customers, to build long term trust and credibility in the market.
“We’ve seen strong growth this year, and it’s exciting to complete this rebrand from a position of strength.
“We have big ambitions over the next three years, and a robust strategy to make these a reality.
“The rebrand has been a strategic leap forward for us, and we’re really excited about the opportunities it unlocks.”
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