Sooo why don't they sell Radians (or other models) in stores?

mom2olivia · Apr 21, 2011

So why is it that the Radian or Recaro or True Fit...or any of those "odd" seats aren't sold in stores? They sell them at a few around here but I'm talking about like BRU or Target or whatnot. I mean have you known anyone that wasn't a tech or an advocate that had a radian? People just go to the store and buy a seat.

Also do you think if SK and Recaro were sold in stores that Britax would feel threatened?

I wish Britax would make a MT equivalent for the US...

Okay just rambling.

Phineasmama · Apr 21, 2011

mom2olivia said:
So why is it that the Radian or Recaro or True Fit...or any of those "odd" seats aren't sold in stores? They sell them at a few around here but I'm talking about like BRU or Target or whatnot. I mean have you known anyone that wasn't a tech or an advocate that had a radian? People just go to the store and buy a seat.

Also do you think if SK and Recaro were sold in stores that Britax would feel threatened?

I wish Britax would make a MT equivalent for the US...

Okay just rambling.

They sell Radians and a lot of other "weird" seats at BuyBuyBaby....there is one in my town and they are a rapidly growing chain store. It's like BRU (same size) but has some higher end brands and cooler stuff

MommaKellie · Apr 21, 2011

Phineasmama said:
They sell Radians and a lot of other "weird" seats at BuyBuyBaby....there is one in my town and they are a rapidly growing chain store. It's like BRU (same size) but has some higher end brands and cooler stuff

GOOGLE!

Thanks!

Phineasmama · Apr 21, 2011

MommaKellie said:
GOOGLE! Thanks!

It's also the same company as Bed Bath & Beyond, and you can use their coupons!!!

MommaKellie · Apr 21, 2011

Phineasmama said:
It's also the same company as Bed Bath & Beyond, and you can use their coupons!!!

ah ha! Interesting. The closest one to me is 5 hours!

scariestone · Apr 21, 2011

Its because the only seats over $100 that are worth the money are Britax because they're the safest, duh.

(For any newbies, that's complete sarcasm. All seats are equally safe when used correctly.) The radians, TF, etc are seen as niche seats and don't sell in the huge numbers like Britaxes or inexpensive seats do. Though I did notice walmart now carried the radian online. Not that that helps people that want to test it in their car. The niche thing is also the reason that there is no MT or TWE made in the US. There are very few people that would pay $450 to keep their child RF to 55lbs. Hopefully with the info getting out there more, consumers will start demanding higher RF weight limits and you'll see them in mainstream stores more.

carseatcoach · Apr 21, 2011

Bottom line -- they don't sell them because people don't buy them.

christineka · Apr 21, 2011

We have USA baby here and they carry the recaros, sunshine kids, and the full line of btiax seats. I don't think you can find a true fit in any b and m store in the state of Utah, though. Target carried the true fit until the myride came out. There is a limited amount of space in the big box stores for car seats and they are going to pick what they think will sell better. I'm sure graco sells better than the first years, so it is logical to keep around the comfortsport and the myride rather than only the myride and the true fit.

I've bought a few true fit premiers from dealomite when they were cheap and sold them local. A couple people in town now have true fits and I don't think they are car seat obsessed people either!

Lea_Ontario · Apr 21, 2011

I work at BRU - we carry the TrueFit.

And one of the older model Radians was carried for a while, at least by special order.

Recaro isn't available in Canada, so we don't carry that one

erikanohelani · Apr 21, 2011

Many big stores can only stock a limited selection (since they carry a wide range of products). Stores pick and choose which products to carry. They cannot carry everything. They choose the ones that are more likely to sell, and for car seats that ends up being the lower priced items and items people see as a good value (such as combo seats like the Nauti and Alpha Omegas).

Many smaller boutique type stores sell the car seats the big name stores don't. Their stock is usually made up of higher priced items. Their customers are more likely to pay the higher price tags.

Baylor · Apr 21, 2011

I have seen the Monterey at my BRU before, but not anymore.

tarynsmum · Apr 21, 2011

Target online sells Radians - I got my flora XT from a b&m store that was returned to the store (unopened box).

ETA: I wish we had a buy buy Baby here. I would probably quit my job to work there.

NannyMom · Apr 21, 2011

The True Fit used to be sold at BRU and Target. My guess is they weren't selling as well as other seats, and were taking valuable shelf space. I know my BRU had the Radian and some Recaros for awhile too.

ks227 · Apr 21, 2011

I wish I'd thought to check at USA Baby for a Radian! We went to the one baby boutique in the area that carries them (a store where we have made significant purchases in the past - we bought all of DD's nursery furniture there) and were informed that not only did they only carry the XTSL in one color, we couldn't take the floor model out to see if we could successfully install it in my car.

I've read too many reviews of the Radian where the install was a battle or impossible to trust that it would be OK. We were not willing to spend the money on a Radian without knowing for sure that it could be installed properly, so we went with a Boulevard 70 after trying DD in most of the convertible seats at BRU.

Today I went to a seat check to make sure I'd installed the Boulevard correctly, and chatted briefly about the new rear facing recommendation. I said that it came down to the Radian that we couldn't try versus another seat that we could try, and the Radian lost. A tech told me that Radians are definitely a niche seat in our area, mainly used for 3-across situations.

We may get a True Fit for DH's car due to the removable head rest. No stores around here sell them, though.

PunkyMonkey · Apr 21, 2011

I love BuyBuyBaby! That store is awesome and just about every week I get a 20% off coupon (Bed Bath & Beyond or Buy Buy Baby) in my mailbox! The staff at the BRUs by me are not so great when you have real technical questions they just walk over to the product and read you what it says on the box (which never answers my question).. oh gee thanks, I couldn't do that myself lol! BBB is WAY better for that! They do have a lot of the higher end seats and they dont mind you trying them out in your car. I pass 2 BRUs to get to BBB but its worth it! :twocents:

mom2olivia · Apr 21, 2011

Phineasmama said:
They sell Radians and a lot of other "weird" seats at BuyBuyBaby....there is one in my town and they are a rapidly growing chain store. It's like BRU (same size) but has some higher end brands and cooler stuff

Yeah there are no buy buy babies in Oregon

I know they used to sell the True Fit at Target then it got taken out.
They sell orbit, and the first years at a boutique store near here and they sell recaro, Radians, and true fits (+TFPs) at Segals for children. There are a couple other stores that sell them too.

People don't buy them though because they aren't available in stores. Most new parents go to target or BRU and go pick out a car seat from the car seat isle.

I wish they would get rid of the comfortsport at Target though. I convinced a mom not to buy it for her 2 1/2 year old who needed a new seat...Her daughter would have definitely have already outgrown it.

libranbutterfly · Apr 21, 2011

Ok, I looked on the store locator and it said there was one remarkably close to my BRU. Then I did the search on Bed Bath and Beyond, and got the same address. Is there a Buy Buy Baby section in the Bed Bath and Beyond? I know where bed bath and beyond is, but havent been in there in several years.

KaiLing · Apr 21, 2011

It's funny: just today I got an email from my (only as far as I know) local fancy baby store (that kind of sucks, but that's just Utica for you) saying that they've expanded and will now carry Radians. My first response was oh, so now you catch on, and my second was ooh, maybe they'll do an event where I can be a tech (if the class I'm signed up for isn't canceled) and I can live my dream of being the only tech I've ever met who says, "oh yeah, a Radian, sure, I know those. Can I help you with that rear facing tether?"

I wonder how many they're going to sell, though...

jourdysmom · Apr 21, 2011

KaiLing said:
It's funny: just today I got an email from my (only as far as I know) local fancy baby store (that kind of sucks, but that's just Utica for you) saying that they've expanded and will now carry Radians. My first response was oh, so now you catch on, and my second was ooh, maybe they'll do an event where I can be a tech (if the class I'm signed up for isn't canceled) and I can live my dream of being the only tech I've ever met who says, "oh yeah, a Radian, sure, I know those. Can I help you with that rear facing tether?"

I wonder how many they're going to sell, though...

hey now, I have met a Radian or two LOL... PM'd you about the store name

brooklynsmommy · Apr 22, 2011

I am in Aloha as well!!!

That babyworld (I believe that is what it is called) on Cornell next to Chang's sells "odd seats too. I'm one of the non techs with weird seats in my car. So if you see an explorer with a 5 year old RF in a radian, that would be me

I also have a Recaro booster in my car for the same child.

Sooo why don't they sell Radians (or other models) in stores?

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