Are you spending too much money on baby items?
Did you waste $ 57 today? I hope not. Unfortunately, many new parents pay far more than necessary for baby products, because they don’t know the secrets that insiders know.
Remember, just because you shop at so-called discount stores doesn’t mean you’ll get the lowest prices. The same goes for warehouse stores and online auction sites.
Even coupons that look like great deals aren’t always a bargain. For example, an online retailer recently offered a promotion where you could buy a board game and get one for free. But the games cost twice what they cost at a competitor. So it wasn’t a deal at all.
What can a bargain-hunting parent do? It is helpful if you can find someone who has done a little research for you.
Shopping Mom to the Rescue!
In an attempt to do a scientific apple-to-apple comparison, I recently conducted a price test of six popular baby product websites. I bought a basket of common baby products at each site.
All the sites I chose were well established businesses, with reliable customer service and a good selection of products. Many offered additional services, such as reader reviews, shopping checklists, and helpful tips. The sites were:
1. BabyCenter (http://www.babycenter.com)
2. Babies R Us (http://www.babiesrus.com)
3. Baby Universe (http://www.babyuniverse.com)
4. Baby Catalog (http://www.babycatalog.com)
5. Shopping.com (http://www.shopping.com)
6. Target.com (http://www.target.com)
Shopping.com is not a retailer. It is a price comparison service. But I included it because you are supposed to find the best deals online. He wanted to see if he kept his promise.
The results
Remember the $ 57 I talked about losing earlier? That was the difference in total cost between the cheapest site I bought and the most expensive. Quite a considerable amount of change, considering my basket had only four items:
1. A Britax Roundabout Car Seat in Denim (price may vary by pattern)
2. The First Years On the Go booster seat
3. An Avent Newborn Starter Set
4. To Boppy
I used my Maryland address to calculate shipping and taxes. Obviously, the cost to you will vary, depending on where you live.
And the winner is …
With a reduced price, that means $ 255.55: Baby Catalog offered the best deals. And this does not include the additional discount you get when you join their Baby Club of America.
Shopping.com came in second at $ 257.34, making it a worthwhile stop for anyone in the baby goods market. Plus, Shopping.com is integrated with Epinions.com, so you can get product reviews right there. I also liked the fact that Shopping.com calculated the total cost, including shipping and taxes, in advance.
Baby Universe came in at $ 263.91. But keep in mind that Baby Universe offers a flat shipping rate of $ 6.95, no matter how many products you buy. So the more you buy, the better deal this site will be.
Babies R Us was the most expensive, at $ 312.97, followed by Target at $ 300.74 and BabyCenter at $ 285.06. Interestingly, both Babies R Us and Target are under the Amazon.com umbrella, which means that you should always compare the stores between the different stores on the Amazon site.
Also note that all of these retailers offer coupons and specials from time to time. So it is always worth shopping around.
(c) Stephanie Gallagher. All rights reserved.