Baby shop Mamiina to move into larger site at Stonham Barns, near Needham Market

The couple behind a popular baby store started during lockdown said their ambitions have led to major expansion plans – just three months after opening a physical store.

Mamiina, in Stonham Barns near Needham Market, plans to move into a larger unit at the park by August 1, which the owners hope will allow them to offer the ‘full baby shop experience’, including a showroom.

Simona Pounds, 33, who runs the shop, said the current store allowed the business to get on its feet, but stated she wanted something larger to realise her ambitions, and offer something no other baby store in Suffolk can, under one roof.

Mamiina started out selling hand-made teething products and other small accessories, but has since expanded to selling wholesale goods from other firms.

Simona said: “There’s no baby shop in Suffolk that offers everything new parents may need. We opened in the first week of April and quickly realised we’d need more space. We were quickly offered this new unit, and hope to be up and running at the beginning of August.

“The new shop is also far larger and in a better part of the park, which we also hope will increase footfall – it would be impossible to miss us.

“The new space will allow us to stock larger items, including cots, prams, nursery furniture, child car seats and much more. We really want to offer a full baby shop experience.

“However, we’re also keen to collaborate with local businesses, and want to rent out shelf space to other businesses. We already have one offer from a firm that makes luggage.”

Simona began Mamiina in 2020 after the birth of her first daughter, and it was online-only for nearly three years.

Originally from Italy, she taught English to international students in Cambridge, but was let go during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Simona started Mamiina alongside web designer partner Steve Bullman, 47, who manages the company’s website.

She said they decided to start their own business as they felt many hand-made baby goods were not properly safety tested.

The pair started attending craft fairs and country shows during 2022, but got a taste of retail life at Stonham Barns’ Christmas fair, and were offered a pod on site shortly afterwards.

Having a physical store had been on the couple’s mind for a while.

Simona said: “The way I see it, as a mother, it’s nice to be able to go somewhere and see goods physically and buy them, especially when it’s your first and you may be unsure on what to expect.

“I also feel like customers are missing out by just shopping online. Shopping is an experience, and it’ll only get better as we grow larger.”

Partner Steve said the pair were incredibly excited to move into their new space, noting that it was both a big step up and a bigger commitment.

“This new space is considerably bigger – more than twice the size of our old place, and it offers a great opportunity for us to stock everything we could want,” he said.

Steve currently helps out at Mamiina on Wednesdays and Thursdays while Simona spends time with their youngest daughter, who is six months old.

Steve is able to work his main job designing websites while manning the shop floor.

However, Simona said their long-term plan was to hire someone else, so the store can be open six or seven days a week.

She added: “We really want to be a one-stop shop for as many baby products as possible.

“We hope that people will continue to visit us from across the county and see us as the baby shop for Suffolk.”

Mamiina is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10am to 4pm.