Mothercare’s CEO, Mark Newton-Jones, has told the Times that he wants an entirely new
look for stores, including branches that have been refurbished within the last three years.
Mr. Newton-Jones said: “We want more of a boutique feel — more of a department store, rather
than a shed”. The Times, also told of his desire to remove “yoga rooms” because they were
under-used and involved too much organisation.
These yoga rooms are actually called Mumspace and are present in five of the company’s UK
stores: Dudley, Edmonton, Leeds, Romford and Southampton. A number of small and part-time
businesses operate various classes and activities, such as, yoga for mothers and mothers-to-be,
dance sessions for children, and sensory experiences for babies.
Refurbishment of Mothercare’s larger out-of-town stores will make room for soft play
concessions, such as, Jellybugs and Soft Play Essex which already operate in a number stores.
Informer: Toy World Magazine
Further evidence : Retail Week
Correction : this article was altered, 29 May 2015, to reflect that the original source of the story
was the Times.