1.1 Market definition

The stroller is a means of transport for small children, usually under the age of 4. Invented in 1733, the stroller consists of a steel or aluminium frame supported by wheels and a system of handles or handlebars to move the stroller forward and to steer it.

The stroller market is part of the broader market for baby products and accessories and more precisely the large childcare which includes car seats, strollers and high chairs.

There are different types of strollers depending on their characteristics. The main ones are the following

The stroller cane
The stroller combined
The stroller 3 wheels (or all-terrain)
The stroller multiple

Moreover, the strollers market is divided into several categories of players: raw material suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors.

Some French brands are well known on the world market, such as Bébé Confort, Babyzen and Rénolux. Similarly, the reach of French distributors Aubert, Bébé 9 and Autour de Bébé is international.

Being a product intended for young children, the production and sale of strollers is strictly regulated. This regulation evolves as the innovations that are appearing on the market: alongside the traditional products, there is now a significant offer of more modern, compact pushchairs that offer functionalities that go beyond their traditional use (mobile phone charging, for example)

In addition, the demand is linked to the birth rate, which has been declining for various years but which is accompanied by an increase in the average budget per baby. On the other hand, consumers are gradually and noticeably turning to second-hand products. At the same time, stroller prices increased by 3.5% between 2017 and 2018 due to the upmarket strollers on the new housing market, but this positive price dynamic does not seem to be enough to compensate for the first two phenomena

Indeed, stroller consumption is declining the growth in sales of large juvenile products in 2018 was driven by high chairs and car seats, while stroller sales decreased by 1.9% in value in 2018. However, there are strategies for market players to face these threats, including the integration of collaborative consumption in their business model or the strengthening of their digital strategy.

1.2 A growing global market with multiple opportunities

All product categories combined, the global baby products market size, is estimated at USD **.** billion in **** and estimates are as high as ***.** billion in ****. [***]

P specifically, the global market for strollers and prams was worth US$*.*** billion in **** and, with a CAGR of *.*%, is expected to represent *.* billion by ****. [***]

Furthermore, there ...

1.3 A French market that must adapt to counter the negative dynamic

According to the GFK, the French market for childcare articles was worth ***.* million euros in ****.

While sales of childcare articles fell by *.*% in volume, they remained relatively stable in value, as did sales of pushchairs, which fell by *.*% in volume and *.*% in value. This difference in the evolution of sales volume ...

1.4 Imports exceed exports

Globally, China is the largest exporter of strollers with an exported value in **** equal to US$**** million Although France is the **th largest exporter in the world, it is the *th largest importer, the first being the United States. It is largely dependent on other European countries, particularly the United States, ...

2.1 A drop in the birth rate barely offset by the increase in the average budget per baby

For at least a decade, the decline in the birth rate is regular. This is shown in the graphs below. While the birth rate and number of live births were **.* and ****** respectively in ****, they were equal to **.* and ****** in ****.

Birth rate France, ****-****, per **** inhabitants INSEE

However, this decline in the ...

2.2 A market of digital natives

Stroller purchases on the Internet are increasing

The Institut des Mamans reveals that **% of parents surveyed have already bought childcare items on the Internet in July ****, which is * points more than in ****. While specialist stores are widely preferred for buying a stroller, online sites are the third favourite place to buy ...

2.3 Second-hand, rental and upmarket: the new trends

The boom in the collaborative market

New consumer trends have emerged in the stroller market in recent years: whether it be through the purchase or resale of second-hand items, bartering or lending between individuals or by renting items. Consumers are looking to optimize their budget. The life span of strollers is ...

3.1 Production and distribution

The strollers market is divided into several players, which can be classified as follows:

Suppliers of raw materials (***) Manufacturers (***) Distributors (***)

Strollers are complex assemblies, made of more than ** pieces of metal, plastic and other materials, riveted together. Once manufactured, they have to pass safety tests in laboratories that cost over a ...

3.2 Geographic distribution of specialty stores

There are more than **,*** shops in France catering for children aged * to * years, including *,*** childcare shops. Although it is difficult to identify only those that sell pushchairs, the map below provides the distribution of the outlets selling childcare products, and therefore gives an idea of the distribution of stores offering pushchairs ...

3.3 The rise of the collaborative market

Traditional retail chains are now largely challenged by new modes of consumption, namely the collaborative consumption. This transformation particularly affects the market for pushchairs, which are a major investment and whose life span is generally much longer than the period of use.

The collaborative market is divided into multiple consumption patterns. ...

3.4 Possible strategies for dealing with competition

Traditional players, while still dominating the strollers market, are facing challenges and threats that, however, it is possible to adapt. Indeed, while the decline in the birth rate is weighing on the strategy of conquest, the increase in the average budget per baby is an avenue for growth as it may ...

4.1 Type of strollers

Source: ****

There are also strollers for infants and toddlers and strollers designed for city life.

4.2 A generalized move upmarket visible through price increases

Prices are extremely varied and range from less than *** euros to more than **** euros. However, over one year, between October **** and ****, average stroller prices have increased by *.*%. This price increase, which applies to all childcare articles, is explained in particular by a general upmarket positioning. [***]

Indeed, premium brands are gaining ground, ...

5.1 Regulations

As with any product for babies or children, the stroller market is subject to strict rules.

These rules are established by the decree No. **-**** of ** December **** on childcare

Updated by the notice of the published in the Official Journal on March **, ****, this decree establishes safety requirements, namely: stability of the ...