The rise of more expensive type of seats (i-Size and Extended Convertibles) keep driving the overall value growth (+0,2% in 2019), but the new study by Interconnection predicts that the market will lose on average -1,1% units per year until 2023. Demand for safety seats have been relatively less impacted by the COVID-19 crisis than for stroller, but still  the aggregated market in the 7 major European markets is still forecasted to fall by 4-4% in 2020.

„Economy and premium segments are increasingly diverging in terms of product characteristics” explains Dr. Stefano Armandi, the author of the study.  Some parents are attracted to multi-year seats as an opportunity to buy only one seat per child and save money in the long-run. At the same, product innovations affecting the high-end segment, as i-Size and spinning and rotative seats, are becoming increasingly popular in the last 2 years.  For example, i-Size seats in the categories 0/0+ and 0+/1 cover now respectively 37,4% and 44,2% of each group’s shares and are already above that level in the medium and premium segment.

Multi-stage seats more popular in Southern Europe

In 2019 downward fall in quantity is mainly due to the negative performances of the Italian, Spanish and UK markets, where in the first 2 markets the rise of extended is reducing overall quantity, while in UK due to a mix of lower life births and economic uncertainty. The two biggest market, France and Germany, kept growing in 2019, but quantity sold will fall in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis.

As in 2018, Group 1 and Backless kept loosing shares, while Extended Convertibles are best performer. Despite a positive growth of +0,4%, first sign of a stabilizing trend for 1/2/3 started to emerge in 2019, while 2/3 keep growing benefitting from the fall of backless solutions. Group 0/0+ and Group 0+/1 have been falling in 2019 in total, but performances diverged a bit in each countries. Infant seats in Nordics and O+/1 in Germany are still growing, while both are losing strongly in Spain and Italy (due to Extended).  This trend will keep shaping markets in Europe for the next 3 years, with O+/1 loosing less than 0/0+ on average.

Product innovation as key for growing in shares

All price segments above 100€ kept growing again in 2019, but firms are offering bigger discounts in the early months of 2020 and this will lead to a short-term fall in average price. Still, the trend towards higher average prices will resume in the next 3 years.

‘Online only’ channel reached 21,7% in 2019 and will benefit from the COVID-19 crisis, taking shares away from boutiques and mass market. Also chain specialized dealers with their online shops will be able to defend their market shares and stabilize around 38,5%.This is also the main channel in most countries, with the exception of France.

As some of the main producers have been successfully introducing new innovative models, market concentration raised a bit in 2019 reaching a combined share of 70,3% for the top 10 companies. Among the Top 5, there are Team-Tex (Nania Group), Dorel and Britax, Cibex/Goodbaby and Allison Baby.

19/06/2020

Copyright: Interconnection, Publication free of charge for coverage regarding the study and InterConnection Consulting.