Byron Bay-based Baby HQ will open its first flagship store in Fortitude Valley

An online baby goods retailer will open its first major store in Fortitude Valley promising an immersive experience including a pram testing track and IKEA-inspired display nurseries.

A GROWING Byron Bay-based baby goods retailer has secured its first flagship store in an iconic Fortitude Valley site promising parents an “experiential retail concept”.

Baby HQ has an eight-year lease on the former adventure clothing and equipment retailer Kathmandu store at the bottom of the Seymour Group-owned McWhirters Carpark at 728 Ann St. The grand opening is scheduled for late October/early November.

The company, which began trading in 2019 in Byron Bay, has a national sales profile through its e-commerce platform which has grown during the Covid-19 pandemic because of the impact of lock downs on bricks and mortar baby goods retail stores around Australia.

Baby HQ will open its Brisbane flagship store in October.

The company’s chief financial officer James Byrne said they have doubled revenue over the last three months and the Brisbane store is “the big statement store to introduce us to the world”.

“It will be an experiential retail concept. An immersive experience,” he said.

“When you think about a customer journey that expecting parents takes there is a lot of the product will be new to them. So we are building a pram testing track which will enable the consumer to be able to feel it going over different surfaces and make a proper choice.

“Also, there will be nursery display rooms like the IKEA experience so they can see a room already made up and there will be a real car seat to demonstrate installation of capsules and boosters.

“Our site accommodates pregnant women, offering chairs and tables next to our coffee machine so she can get off her feet. We also cater to little ones with a kids play area, and a parents room for changing nappies and breastfeeding.

“The experiential retailing format is the future of bricks and mortar retailing. In the baby goods category it is also entirely consistent with the needs of expecting and new parents who may be inexperienced with the range of products.”

Baby HQ is coming to Brisbane.

Baby HQ was founded by couple Stephen Muldoon, who was recently GM Operations at listed media company Ai Media, and Elena Palamara who is a radiologist.

The company is in the process of hiring for a store manager, assistant store manager and warehouse assistant.

Mr Byrne said the move to Brisbane was driven by a number of factors.

“There are fewer baby goods retailers per capita in particular across the independents, birthrates are above other eastern seaboard cities, incomes are rising, and a number of young couples that are looking to start families are moving to Brisbane from Sydney and Melbourne.

“We were particularly drawn to our location on Ann St, noting over 40,000 cars commute into the CBD, greater than 30m of window frontage, and its near the James Street retail precinct.

“Importantly, the site has a car park directly on top of the premise which is not only differentiated for retailers in Fortitude Valley but is critical for the convenient installation of car seats for our customers.”

Baby HQ in Fortitude Valley will have a pram testing track.

Your Commercial’s Lachlan Persley, who struck the deal for the 755sq m site with Jack Neumann, said 728 Ann St was an “iconic” property.

“We had a lot of interest anywhere from gyms to food and beverage groups,” he said.

“But after running the campaign we realised the best use would be retail which in the Valley is going very strong.”

Mr Neumann said they were contacted by Baby HQ to find an appropriate store.

“They were looking for a prominent retail site in Fortitude Valley to set up their flagship retail store in Brisbane,” he said.

“From there I understand they will be looking to expand into the outer suburbs.

“It’s in a central position, close to competitors and it’s such a prominent site with great exposure to Ann St. They will gain a lot of benefit in the exposure for their online business and from the central location for their flagship store.”