Britain's new parents caught up in the buggy wars

Under-pressure parents get competitive about over-priced baby kit

London, March 2009 - In what is predicted to be the biggest baby boom in over a decade,* Kelkoo, Europe's biggest shopping comparison service, has found that a third UK adults are competitive over having the best baby accessories. The UK's current breed of new parents also take a "secret pride" in having the most expensive baby kit, with 20% claiming that they wanted their children to wear matching outfits to them and 12% seeing their buggy as a status symbol.

The UK's "buggy-wars" however are putting pressure on parents - 84% of the 1,500* person online poll claimed that there is "unnecessary pressure" to buy expensive baby equipment, a real concern given that a huge 93% of respondents agreed that baby accessories are over-priced.

Forced to navigate the minefield of buying the right baby accessories, buggies and prams were voted as the most over-priced, whilst video baby-monitors and over-sized prams were seen as the least necessary items. With a large range of prices and options, respondents admitted to spending more time trying to find the right buggy than choosing godparents or debating whether or not to find out the gender of their new child.

Bruce Fair, MD of Kelkoo.co.uk said of the study, "It's only natural to want your children to have the best kit and with the number of large buggies which you see on most high-streets, it is easy to see how we can get competitive over having the best kit. In the current climate however, it's important that parents resist spending unnecessary amounts on accessories and always look to get the best value for money."

"For example, a top of the range buggy can cost up to £800, even though you can often buy equivalent products from less fashionable brands for around £200. If you have a second child, parents can easily spend over £1,500 through buying a second set. For this reason, parents should look for all the different ways they can save money on big purchases, like prams and buggies. If you compare online on sites such as Kelkoo, you're likely to save around £100 on fashionable buggy brands such as Bugaboo and Phil N Teds."