Simon Harrow has had an incredible year. Kiddicare was acquired by Morrisons and now an overhaul of the brand is planned. He talks us though some of the improvements scheduled for this year and beyond.

• “We’ll create a more socially connected brand”
• Social media will influence store opening strategy
• Turnover for the last financial year reached £50m
• Taking Morrisons online “rare opportunity”

Kiddicare began life in 1974, but it wasn’t until 1999, when the website launched, that the business really took off. “Now, 85% of our business is online,” says Simon, the company’s COO.

Morrisons acquired the business in February 2011 for £70m. “Morrisons threw a curve ball into the mix,” admits Simon. “They had no online transactional presence and no experience outside of food retail, but we liked them culturally as they brought something different to the table. To be able to take a FTSE 100 company online is such a rare opportunity. We believe that we can create a paradigm shift in the retail model and how people buy goods. We will look back on this period as a defining moment in commerce.”

Whilst Kiddicare will provide the platform for Morrisons to pursue its multi-channel aspirations, Morrisons will help advance Kiddicare’s natural ambitions for growth.

On its own, Kiddicare is still thriving. Turnover for the last financial year reached £50m. With a target to open 10 new stores in the next two years to complement their sole offering in Peterborough, the eventual aim is to push turnover to half a billion pounds, with over £250m achieved in the next four to five years. “These are ambitious figures but we’ve seen 30% growth on the website year-on-year and the new stores provide a unique platform for success” Simon reveals.

To facilitate these ambitions and to ensure a seamless entry for Morrisons into the multi-channel and non-food retail arena, the company has enlisted the help of former White Stuff and Charles Tyrwhitt director Alison Lancaster.

As Chief Marketing Officer, she will oversee marketing and PR across both brands from a multi-channel perspective. “We were very consonant that the organisational structure needed to change in order for us to realise our ambition.” says Simon.

Turnover for the last financial year reached £50m

This year in addition to the new stores, Kiddicare will implement a new CRM system, launch its own brand range of toys and extend its product offering. It’s a big job that Alison will spearhead and Simon is enthused.

“Branding is one area where we are particularly weak. There will be a huge advertising and marketing push. We will also utilise social media to give customers the opportunity to be involved in the decision over which store we open next,” he says.

Without divulging too much, Simon adds, “There will be some really interesting and exciting developments this year. Our ambition is to reduce our reliance on TV and traditional advertising campaigns through creating a more socially connected brand.”

With such a dedicated team behind them, Kiddicare and Morrisons look set to take the multichannel retail arena by storm.