NOW CLOSED: The day we went to Mothercare's flagship store in Edmonton, London: find out how the store went down with MNers

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the 30+ MNers, bumps, partners, small (and bigger) children who attended the MN Mothercare Event at the Edmonton, North London store.

Here's more info about the store

At the event the MNers were taken on a tour of the store and had the opportunity to chat to the Mothercare staff and parenting consultant. They saw all the latest collections and met some of the buyers. We even had a coffee in the Costa and the LO's had a play with the toys in Early Learning Centre.

So if you attended the event, thank you - it was lovely to see you all there.

Please add a photo to the thread (the instructions are at the top of this thread - it won't work on the Talk App)

Please give us your responses to the following questions:

~ What did you like most about the store? What was different from any other Mothercare you've been too? Was it what you expected?

~ Who did you attend with? What did they think? Did you use any of the facilities for babies/ children?

~ If you had to describe the store to someone who had never been what
would you say?

~ What else would you like to see in the store?

~ What did you think of the ELC area?

~ Does the Mumspace offer activities that you think you would use in the future?

As a thank you for attending if you add your feedback or photo from the event to this thread - you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £50 Mothercare voucher.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

With the Happyland rocket/spaceman

And with what was probably his favourite store feature - a child-sized shopping trolley. Poor, deprived child. I clearly don't take him out enough...

Photos might be working...

ERF carseats on display!

DS in the Little Tikes area.

View from upstairs.

DD in the changing/feeding area.

Baby feeding room.

DS on the train!

Thank you for arranging this event - I enjoyed it, and liked having a look around the store. Apologies for my rampaging 3-year-old though. Lack of sleep (and the fact that he is 3) meant that he was a little bull in a chinashop-ish, but people were lovely and tolerant about it.

~ What did you like most about the store? What was different from any other Mothercare you've been too? Was it what you expected?

I liked the space - having so much room meant that there was plenty of variety in the products and services available. It felt as though a lot of thought had been put into it. It was very different to other Mothercare stores that I have been in, and so was not what I expected. There was a lot more choice than in my local store (Watford), and everything was displayed in a more attractive manner.

If I lived more locally, it would be somewhere that I could meet friends for a coffee and to do a bit of shopping.

~ Who did you attend with? What did they think? Did you use any of the facilities for babies/ children?

I came straight from a hospital appointment, so had DH and DS with me. DH liked the instore Costa, and used the baby change facilities with DS.

~ If you had to describe the store to someone who had never been what
would you say?

I have already described the store to a couple of friends. It is hard to get across to somebody who hasn't seen the store why it is different/an improvement over other Mothercare stores, but I told them about the coffee shop, Mumspace (and the ultrasound concession) and the large ELC/play area. I repeated what we had been told on the tour - that staff members were happy to open a toy box if a child wanted to play with it - and they both seemed impressed with/suprised by that.

~ What else would you like to see in the store?

As DS was overtired, I didn't have as much time to browse as I would have liked, but there seemed to be a good selection of everything in store - especially compared to the Mothercare I normally go to. The car park could do with some TLC, and the hanging gate didn't give the best impression.

~ What did you think of the ELC area?

I thought the ELC area was nice, and it was spacious, but (and this may be the PFB part of me) my first thought when I saw it was that it was a shame that it was at the top of the large open stair area. DS does get over-excited and run about a lot, especially when there are toys to be played with, and it did make me think it would be hard for me to look at the toys if I couldn't take my eyes off him. Having said that, once we were up there, he naturally gravitated away from the stair area.

~ Does the Mumspace offer activities that you think you would use in the future?

The activities looked good, but I'm not local enough to make use of them. I would have to know that I was already going to be in the area if I were going to use them.

Now that I know where it the Edmonton store is, I will definitely visit again. It may not be my closest branch, but I feel more confident that I would be able to find what I needed in this store. Many thanks again for the event, and for the goody bag.

I'm afraid I've namechanged as I don't want my mum to know my regular username (she probably does anyway!).

~ What did you like most about the store? What was different from any other Mothercare you've been too? Was it what you expected?
This is my local store and I come here regularly, so I knew what to expect. It is definitely nicer than other branches because it's so much bigger, airier, less cluttered and stocks such a wide range of products.

~ Who did you attend with? What did they think? Did you use any of the facilities for babies/ children?
I came with my DS (2.9) and my mum, who had been looking after him that day. My DS loves the store and it's a favourite place to go on a wet afternoon - he loves playing in the ELC section. He cried when we left.

~ If you had to describe the store to someone who had never been what
would you say?
A huge branch of Mothercare which is much nicer than most branches! A good destination to go and have a coffee and let the kids play and buy stuff while you're there.

~ What else would you like to see in the store?
I agree with others that a wider range of slings would be good. Keep up the good work in terms of clothes not being all either pink or blue - it would be nice if the bedding ranges etc could follow suit. I didn't know there was a scanning concession so I would have suggested that if it wasn't already there! Not that I can justify the cost of a 4D scan really...

~ What did you think of the ELC area?
It's great, my son loves it. I do wish that it was next to the cafe - however I'm liking the suggestion of taking a takeaway coffee up there in future.

~ Does the Mumspace offer activities that you think you would use in the future?
Yes, I was interested to hear about the pregnancy yoga classes in particular.

Thanks very much for the event and the goody bag.

Daughter enjoying bike

Daughter enjoying one of the slides

~ What did you like most about the store? What was different from any other Mothercare you've been too? Was it what you expected?

Loved the store, had a great afternoon as did my daughter, she did not want to leave. The thing I probably loved best was the play area. It was very different from any other mothercare I've been too, probably 6 times the size. I had heard it was different but went beyond my expectations.

~ Who did you attend with? What did they think? Did you use any of the facilities for babies/ children?

I attended with my daughter who is 15 months, we used the feeding area for her, she also enjoyed the ELC area and story trail corner.

~ If you had to describe the store to someone who had never been what
would you say?

I would say it is great, so spacious and a one stop shop, there is a lovely Costa with super friendly staff, an area for classes such as baby sensory, a 3D scanning service, a huge ELC area where children can play, my daughter did not want to leave. There was a story corner which my daughter thoroughly enjoyed a photo studio plus all the usual mothercare clothes and products but huge range with items that I have not seen in the Ilford or two Stratford stores. The changing and feeding facilities are also great, immaculate and comfortable, comparable to the changing facilities at Westfield Stratford which I love. Also my daughter slept for part of the tour (until we got to the toy and play section!) so I had her in her large buggy, I found this really easy to move around the store.

~ What else would you like to see in the store?

In feeding area a curtained rooms for breast feeding mums if they wish would be great, I personally had some problems with bf due to daughter's tongue tie and that level of privacy provided at Westfields Stratford was a great pull I think some Mothercare Edmonton mums would appreciate that too. Like another poster the rails upstairs frightened me slightly. My daughter was running round like she was in paradise having a great time in the ELC area but every time she went near the rails my heart skipped, the aesthetics are great so not sure what to suggest as I'm sure the rails are perfectly safe but didn't feel it.

~ What did you think of the ELC area?

I loved it as did my daughter, really fantastic and friendly but not intrusive staff.

~ Does the Mumspace offer activities that you think you would use in the future?

Yes I'm going to email a couple of providers today.

Did any of you guys ask about customer service. That is always the thing that has pit me off shopping at mothercare. Could have their shop in a palace and be giving out free diamonds and champagne but I would go to John Lewis as I know they will listen and do something if product fails to deliver.

What did you like most about the store? What was different from any other Mothercare you've been too? Was it what you expected?

I loved the huge bright, open space, such a lovely shopping - and playing - environment. A lot of the older high street Mothercare stores can be quite cramped and 'busy', so this much space was lovely.

~ Who did you attend with? What did they think? Did you use any of the facilities for babies/ children?

I brought my 16 month old, Sophia, who had a whale of time but completely wore herself out, as you can see from the photo! She loved being able to toddle about in all the space, and adored the play area upstairs. I think she has compiled a very lengthy mental wish list!!

~ If you had to describe the store to someone who had never been what
would you say?

A huge, airy store with space to relax (Costa), great fun baby classes, fab changing rooms and loos, an extensive range of products and lots of helpful, friendly staff on hand to assist. But the piece de resistance is the upstairs play area with every ELC toy imagiable, lots of play areas and much, much more.

~ What else would you like to see in the store?

I didn't think the clothing ranges were as extensive as in some stores (Southampton for example seems to have a lot more), and a bigger range of slings and carriers would be fab - I really want a Hipseat and thought I might see one there to try out.

~ What did you think of the ELC area?

AMAZING!!! Will be bringing the 3 year old next time for a good play session! She'll love it!

~ Does the Mumspace offer activities that you think you would use in the future?

Unfortunately the store is too far from us to be able to use it regularly, but if we are in the area, then yes, definitely. Great idea!

Thank you for a lovely afternoon, Sophia and I had a great time, and thank you for the lovely goody bag too, L.

I had a wonderful time visiting the Edmonton store is has everything you want as a mother or father will be visiting again thanks again mumsnet

Apologies for the delayed feedback. My 4 week old baby doesn't allow much hands free time at the moment!

~ What did you like most about the store? What was different from any other Mothercare you've been too? Was it what you expected?

I liked the fact that it was so comprehensive, with so many needs catered for under one roof. The store seemed to be laid out well, making it easy to find what you are looking for.

I also liked the calm and comfortable feeding and changing area and the fact that there are male, female and kids' toilets available as well as a changing area for fathers to use, so that they don't encroach on the mums in the feeding area.

~ Who did you attend with? What did they think? Did you use any of the facilities for babies/ children?

I attended with my 3 week old, very hungry and fractious baby so unfortunately it was a bit of a fleeting visit and I didn't get upstairs to the play area. He didn't way what he thought but I think he was grateful for the feeding area!

~ If you had to describe the store to someone who had never been what
would you say?

One stop shop for many of your baby and child needs, with a great play area (visited the shop again over the weekend) and lots of great opportunities to attend groups, classes and socialise and meet with other parents.

~ What else would you like to see in the store?

The opportunity to try out some of the products. On my visit I suggested providing breast feeding pillows in the feeding area for people to use and also to get an idea of which work best for them, which they took on board and implemented straight away. This would be a good thing to do with some of the other products, especially in the play area.

Also, it would make things a bit easier if the mechanism on the doors in the toilet area were not so quick to close behind you so you can get the pushchair out without the door closing on it and waking the baby up!

~ What did you think of the ELC area?

I didn't get a look around on the tour due to my hungry baby but on my visit on Sunday my partner and I were disappointed with the selection of books. We were looking for some contrast picture books for the baby and there was really just one or two to choose from.

~ Does the Mumspace offer activities that you think you would use in the future?

Possibly, although it's about 20-30 mins drive from me and my local authority provide so many free activities and groups for babies that I'm more likely to do local stuff. I do like the fact that the activities are available though.

Thank you for organising this event, we went & will definitely be using this mothercare in future.

The thing I liked most was how spacious the store seemed. You were able to move about looking around with a buggy easily. It felt light & airy. It was different from all mothercare stores I have visited for several reasons. The space, the costa coffee, the amazing toy floor, mums space & babybond scanning department. These all made it stand out. This used to be my local mothercare when I had my older dc, now 10 & 7 & the changes are outstanding.
I attended with my 15 month old DS & he loved it too. The mini trollies for children to push, the rocket lift & the toy floor were all hits.
If I had to describe the store to someone who had never been I would say that it's a large airy building catering to the needs of parents & young children & babies. With an amazing interactive toy floor & large floor to cover your parenting needs. There are large changing rooms, clean & comfy feeding areas & toilets, baby changing areas. Staff are welcoming & knowledgeable. Definitely recommend a visit or two.
I don't think there is anything they could add as they seemed to have covered it all. The store manager was so proud of 'her baby' & rightly so.
The ELC area was fantastic, the amount out for children to experience themselves was amazing as were the giant windmill, castle & train. This would make a boring shopping trip exciting for little ones.
I will definitely be using the mum space activities in the future, the pop up tales activity happening when we were there looked great fun & I know from previous experience that diddi dance is fab.
Thank you once again mothercare & mumsnet :-)

I went back again yesterday with my toddler and baby to the Edmonton store to have an unaccompanied look round (and I was hoping to buy a few things).

More feedback:

• My toddler LOVED the play area upstairs but I noticed that many of the toys were broken or missing parts (I think someone else mentioned this). While he still loved them, it was harder to get a sense of whether a £150 play kitchen is worth it when only the shell remains! I'm not knocking the idea of the play area in the ELC zone but it does already look a bit rundown in places.

• Actually, I also noticed that the lift looked quite run down which I didn't expect in a new store. The changing areas, however, were immaculate. A male staff member (cleaner?) did come in unannounced while I was changing my son. I didn't mind this but women using the feeding area for privacy might have found it better if it was a female staff member or announced first.

• I thought that while the ELC section was well laid out and fun for kids, it actually seemed sparse in some areas in terms of products. For example, the character area seemed a bit limited given the popularity of these toys. I was hoping to spot some Ben & Holly merchandise for my son () and was unable to spot any. I did like the big craft section though.

• Some of the boys clothing also appeared to be low on stock or sparse. I couldn't get any of my son's desired pants in his age, nor his second or third choices.

• All staff were lovely and very helpful during my visit. Really warm. They seemed to really like kids, which is obviously vital in that job.

• I was looking for a bedside cot. But I wanted to see how it worked. My local Mothercare does not have any on display so I had hoped to see one here. It was a shame that there were loads of cot beds but only a small range of cots and that one wasn't on display. I am finding it really hard to find a suitable bedside cot to mimic co-sleeping (without squashing/suffocating the baby as we are exhausted and want to use a duvet). Unfortunately, while the staff member I spoke to was very helpful, if you didn't want a cot bed or Moses basket, the product options were limited. It seemed like the nursery furniture section prioritised matching sets over genuinely useful parenting innovations, which is a shame.

All in all, I still thought the store was great. But I think keeping the play areas feeling fresh is important (it's ok for a playgroup to have rundown items, but not so much a shop). And I still think the products need to match up to the atmosphere.

I was unable to attend the event but my partner and 11 month old went along. We actually use the shop quite a bit so will base my responses on both the actual MN event and our prior experiences.

~ What did you like most about the store? What was different from any other Mothercare you've been too? Was it what you expected?
We love that the store has so many facilities to make life easier for parents - especially the feeding/changing areas, cafe, and all the play areas for older kids. My son likes Little Tikes section the best, the rocket lift complete with really loud countdown and the mini-shopping trolleys are a must every time!

~ Who did you attend with? What did they think? Did you use any of the facilities for babies/ children?
Partner attended with 11 month old baby. He knows the shop well but was impressed by the tour and all the different services that are available.

~ If you had to describe the store to someone who had never been what would you say?
More like a morning/afternoon out than a shopping trip.

~ What else would you like to see in the store?
I can't really think of anything extra - I love children's books and maybe a wider selection would be good (especially when there is an offer on Donaldson/Scheffler books - there always seems to be very limited availability.

~ What did you think of the ELC area?
My son loves playing here however he gets frustrated when the people/vehicles etc are missing as the toys look great but cannot be used properly without these pieces. Little Tikes section is great fun.

~ Does the Mumspace offer activities that you think you would use in the future?
Yes. We have done Diddidance here and Baby Sensory in the past. My partner and daughter really enjoyed the Pop-up Tales session that they attended during the event and would like to go again. Would agree with other comments re the name of this space - I know lots of very hands-on dads and the name Mumspace reinforces the outdated idea that child-rearing is women's business (offensive to both mums & dads in the implication in my opinion). Maybe something could be done about the very clean (i.e. invisible) glass doors to Mumspace - I've seen more than one small child bump into the doors as they didn't see them!

I had been to this store before the re-fit and was distinctly unimpressed - it felt dark, grotty and as though there was not much stock despite being so big. The new version is a million times better and caters brilliantly for parents, babies and children.

Thank you for organising a great day!

Hello - thanks for posting your feedback about the store - am pleased to say leeloo1 has been selected as the winner of the £50 Mothercare voucher! Well done.

Mrdarcyswife was unable to attend but passed on the below:

"I haven't been to this store for a year or so. Used to dread it, dark, dingy and unhelpful staff made it feel like a real effort to shop there
What a change since the refit!
As you know I didn't go on the correct day, but even so I was greeted on the door by a friendly member of staff who was able to point me in the direction of bibs and cups. (The first of several things on my list)
I then moved on to the pushchair area, again I was offered help quickly and in a friendly, non pushy way, so I was quickly and easily able to get what I wanted. All this help saved me so much time that I thought I'd have time for a coffee before needing to pick up my older child, but I made the mistake of pooping up stairs for a look. Again a huge transformation! And a lovely area, my dd had a lovely play and I spent more than I should on toys.

In summary, it is now a lovely store and I will very happily shop there regularly as it's very local."

Thank you for inviting me and sorry for the delay (house move traumas), it was a great event.

~ What did you like most about the store? What was different from any other Mothercare you've been too? Was it what you expected?

The space is fantastic and the range of products. Costa coffee and seating area a really clever addition I think.

~ Who did you attend with? What did they think? Did you use any of the facilities for babies/ children?

I came with my baby and 3 yr old son. My son really enjoyed the trip and loves the ELC play areas, toys and rocket lift.
I used the changing facilities, which were clean and spacious.

~ If you had to describe the store to someone who had never been what
would you say?

I would say it is definitely better than any other mother care and has lots to offer, can definitely be a kind of a one stop shop with the clarks and costa. The space is great and it is a pleasant environment for shopping.

~ What else would you like to see in the store?

It would feel like you were really being looked after if there were nappy bags, wipes, little extras in the changing area, that would be amazing.

~ What did you think of the ELC area?
I thought there was lots of space to play and both children enjoyed it.
I think there could be more variety of toys on sale, particulalrly for 3 year old boys. Overall good though.

~ Does the Mumspace offer activities that you think you would use in the future?
Definitely.