For immediate release:

IT’S OFFICIAL: THE ‘CUDDLY TOY’ IS STILL NUMBER ONE CHOICE OF THE NATION’S CHILDREN

But aunts and uncles are tight when it comes to buying presents.

A survey, commissioned by Debenhams and GE Money, to mark the launch of the retailer’s new range of nursery furniture shows that despite latest technology, 50% of parents said their youngest child’s favourite companion is the timeless cuddly toy - making it the number one choice of the nation’s children.
The survey also revealed that the average parent spends £451.07 on clothes for their newborn baby during the first year, and a further £535.48 on the nursery.

On other important areas: like buying clothes: most parents found it easier to buy for girls (56%), compared to buying boys clothes (9%). When asked what was the most enjoyable item of clothing to buy – a sleep suit topped the list for the boys (37%), and a dress topped the poll for the girls, with eight out of ten (78%) parents in agreement. The survey also showed that new parents take pride in their child looking smart, with three quarters (78%) of new parents agreeing that it is important for their child to look good.

In the nursery: over half of parents (56%) thought that quality was the most important thing when purchasing furniture, not the cost (10%). Most parents agreed that setting the right atmosphere in a nursery was extremely important to aiding a good night’s sleep. Thankfully, on this topic the survey produced some good news - despite the horror stories, one in three (29%) new parents get on average five hours sleep per night. Although having more time to sleep was generally less important, 44% of women compared to just 24% of men said they would spend more time sleeping if they could.

Having quality time: Today’s parents gain more quality time with their children. Most spend on average 99 minutes per day engaged, compared to just 25 minutes in 1975. And finally, trust is an increasingly important issue with 63% of parents of children born before 1990 choosing trust as the most important factor when choosing childcare, this proportion rises to 73% for parents with children born in 2000 or later.

Commenting on the research, Michele Lockwood, Head of Direct Marketing at Debenhams, commented, “We undertook this research to coincide with the launch of our new designer nursery range by Jasper Conran and John Rocha, and looking at the survey, while you would expect some of the findings, others proved to be a bit of a surprise. As a mother myself, I certainly appreciate the question over lack of sleep!

Claire Williams, Client Director, for GE Money, said: “Having a baby often leaves the finances a bit stretched, so GE Money is delighted to be behind the Debenhams MasterCard, which still gives customers great loyalty benefits they have come to expect over the years, but with the added convenience that it can be used in over 24 million locations around the world”.

Further information please contact :

GE Money (UK) Media Relations: Robert Buller - 020 7853 1831 Email: robert.buller@ge.com
Debenhams Press Office: Helen Frame – 020 7529 0460 Email: helen.frame@debenhams.com To download free high resolution images visit www.prshots.com/debenhams