‘We’re not a baby retailer’: How The Memo is appealing to Millennial mums

Asked if they see themselves as a Millennial brand, Phoebe Simmonds, 37, and Kate Casey, 39, co-founders of The Memo, are surprised but ultimately agree.

“We are Millennials, and our customers are Millennials. We are them, and so we understand what she needs. We’ve been very deliberate in meeting those needs,” says Simmonds.

If ever there was a brand that epitomised the Millennial mum, The Memo would be it. Founded in 2019, it’s characterised by stylish branding and a human approach to parenting, with the personal experiences of Casey and Simmonds at the forefront. They want every parent’s shopping experience to be judgment-free and say no knowledge is assumed.

The Memo founders Phoebe Simmonds (left) and Kate Casey.Credit: Simon Shiff

“We know the challenges of a colicky baby ... we know what it’s like to experience postnatal depression, anxiety, our hair falling out, prolapse,” says Simmonds.

Millennials, aged 28-43, comprise the largest proportion of new parents in Australia. Having come of age in uncertain economic times with shifting definitions of feminism, Millennials are more discerning and cynical than ever – especially when it comes to their kids.

Casey and Simmonds worked in the fashion and beauty industry before starting The Memo, which is abundantly evident in the brand’s slick image. Speaking to this masthead in 2022, Casey said she envisioned The Memo as a beauty retailer like Mecca but for mums. The brand’s name speaks to its origins.

When Casey had her first child, she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of options on the market for new parents and by big-box retailers who spoke down to her. A friend shared a spreadsheet of must-have items and the idea for The Memo grew from there.

This spring, The Memo will open its first Sydney store in Bondi Junction in an opportunity for the brand to meet many of its online customers in person.

“We ship a lot of orders to the eastern suburbs … our community have been asking us for so long to be launching there. We’ve had a few false starts, but all good things take time and this spot in Bondi Junction is very special,” says Casey.

Francesca Reid, a 31-year-old new mum from the northern beaches, felt a similar confusion when preparing for her daughter, Charlotte.

Trust was a huge factor in guiding her purchases. Reid says she sought advice from knowledgeable friends and parenting sites which rated the best products, researching extensively before each purchase.

“You could spend thousands upon thousands of dollars, and you really just need to refine it ... and then to do that, you need to trust people and have those opinions.”

While The Memo’s offerings put them in the leagues of other big players like Baby Bunting, don’t make the mistake of calling them a baby retailer.

“We’re a parenting retailer,” says Casey. “You think about all our competitors that have the name baby in their title. Whereas us, we’re here for the parents.”

Indeed, big-box retailers have typically overlooked the intricacies of motherhood – most have only “maternity” categories, whereas The Memo focuses on every stage of the experience, from preconception to postpartum and beyond.

“We speak a lot about the fact that this isn’t maternity – this is motherhood,” says Simmonds. “It’s transformative, and it requires conversations and innovation and investment and care.”

Katrina McCarter, a business strategist, speaker and author, says Generation Y are characterised by having high expectations, being well researched and valuing authenticity.

“Millennial parents take parenting far more seriously than any other generation we’ve seen so far,” she says.

These factors, combined with an increasingly crowded market, mean it takes a lot more for a brand to be successful today. “Brands that do really well with their language speak to Millennial parents without corporate speak,” explains McCarter.

What defines the Millennial mum, according to Katrina McCarter

• Customer experience expectations for mothers are higher than those of other consumers.
• They are more likely to work than previous generations of mothers but are more likely to feel stressed or unsupported.
• They are “tech-first mums” who rely on tech to address their needs and have high expectations of brands, expecting a seamless experience across digital devices with minimal clicks. 
• They value efficiency, convenience and transparency. 

The Memo’s growth has been rapid, expanding in five years from an online-only presence to three stores in Victoria and now its first in Sydney. Simmonds and Casey say they’ve seen a 45 per cent year-on-year growth – an impressive feat in a challenging retail market in which consumers are more discerning than ever.

Casey and Simmonds are confident their message will continue to resonate – and hope to expand globally one day – in large part because The Memo is about more than just selling products. A focus on customer service and offerings such as a loyalty program, curbside pick-up and services such as car seat installation are also core to their brand.

“Support [for parents] should come from more than just the healthcare system and government and society,” says Simmonds.

“We believe that it should also come from businesses like ours. And I don’t hear that mission coming through from a lot of other parenting brands out there.”

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