THE LONG READ: Offaly business duo are making waves in the nursery business

Barry and Grace Mooney have been running the popular Babymoon store in Tullamore since 2020, during which time they have established themselves as one of the leading names in the nursery industry from the heart of the midlands.

Barry and Grace had very different career paths before starting their own business together. The couple lived in London for five years where he was a sales manager and she was a primary school teacher.

Barry worked for one of the UK’s leading nursery brands, iCandy. He says “I did a lot of travelling as Head of Sales, I got to visit baby shops all over the world witnessing the best in class, the top brands and the trends that were coming down the line.”

After returning home in 2019, Barry explains how the idea for Babymoon came about. “Grace could have gone back teaching and I could have got another job in sales but that would have meant travelling again and I didn't want to do that. I said ‘I think we should open our own business and it should be a baby shop in Tullamore’.”

True to their word, Babymoon opened in 2020 offering a warm and welcoming atmosphere for customers ahead of the birth of their children even at the height of the Covid pandemic. Grace reveals “It can be such a daunting and overwhelming experience for parents, there is so much to take in so we strip it right back and make it enjoyable as it's an exciting time in their lives and it's nice for us to be part of their excitement as well, it's infectious, it really is.”

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Grace touched on some of their proudest moments throughout their five years in business. “We’ve won two awards in retail excellence and we’re constantly growing. The support of people has been phenomenal.”

She says it’s the personal connections which mean the most to them, “We recently had a customer who is on her third baby and she's bought with us the whole way through which gives you goosebumps, the biggest thing is having those return customers that come in and you know their kids and see them growing up, that's our biggest achievement.”

Babymoon offers a bespoke service to help assemble prams and fit car seats. Grace reveals: “It’s the best part of our job when people come back in after they have made their choices. We build it, give the full demo on the pram they bought and show them how to fit their car seat and base. You can feel the excitement of parents, I wish you could bottle it.”

Barry and Grace have four kids of their own: Kate, Anna, Lily and Adam and Grace believes that finding the right balance with a young family is paramount to running a successful business. “We used to open on a Sunday and close on a Monday but we switched those days around to be home with the kids. Sundays were our busiest day but you have to look at what’s most important to you in life.”

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GAA has been a big part of their lives with Barry playing football for Offaly and Shamrocks and Grace playing camogie for Kinnitty. Babymoon is now the sponsor of both clubs as Barry reveals: “We wanted to sponsor and give back to the GAA clubs, GAA has been very good to us, the people of Kinnitty and Shamrocks have been absolutely excellent to us so that was very important.”

“We are always looking to expand the business with new brands and keep adapting to the constant changes within the industry” Barry says. Him and Grace are hoping for more success in the future as Babymoon continues to be a staple for parents across the midlands and beyond.