New Soft Play Centre Post Reply

[Dove]

Good Morning all,
I’m doing some market research and wonder
if you could help me out.
I think that we are lacking a Children’s Soft Play Centre (like Gambardos) in our area with a good coffee shop and food.
Would you agree with this and feel that there is a need? If so, where do you think the best
Location is: Clapham Junction, Balham or Tooting?
I appreciate your time and help.
Many thanks x

[JulieL]

YESSSSS!! Clapham Junction!!

[Mominclapham]

Yes, and a comfortable breastfeeding coffee place with healthy lunch options in Clapham junction!

[Champagnetennis]

Tooting please as there are no softplay places there at all with a decent cafe!

[Champagnetennis]

Tooting please as there are no softplay places there at all with a decent cafe!

[Emma79]

Am guessing it’s due to lack of venue as to why one hasn’t been opened around a Clapham Junction before. The area could definitely do with one!

[rwickham]

My wife ran a soft-play cafe near Clapham Junction for nearly 3 years and my view is that it is very hard to make it work financially.
Happy to talk privately if you wish.

[szerma]

Yes! Absolutely. We used to have at least Bertie and Boo but even that closed. Now we go to the Latchmere and Eddie Catz in Earlsfield - nowhere near!

Please in Clapham Junction!

[Champagnetennis]

Other than Eddie catz, which is awful, noisy, overpriced and always very busy there isn’t any other softplay in collliers wood or tooting. Went to child’s play in tooting but this was very small and the coffee was shocking!

[jamesahayward]

Yes ideally with outside space!!

I’d say Clapham junction or tooting

Good luck!

[szerma]

The old “Blacks” shop just closing near CJ is quite big and over 2 floors. Just saying

[missalena]

It's interesting to see the responses on this. Since the amazing Purple Dragon club closed in Putney in September 2019, the area has lacked any decent alternatives - and at various church playgroups, etc we keep bumping into so many of the parents who used to go and all lament its closure.

Bizarrely, many of these are the same people who used to complain how expensive it was - and are now saying that have had it, they would be more than happy to pay what they did -= and even a little bit more, if it meant reopening it.

We've been in light discussions with various parties about possibly reopening it - and yet, when we've done some wider market research it seems not everyone would be happy to pay for a membership. The responses are so wide and frequently, contradictory

Long story short - it seems people are often of two minds about these things. So it comes as no surprise about similar places closing (eg Bertie & Boos in Northcote Road), or the softplay centre that poster rwickham says his wife ran for 3 years in CJ. People either have to support these places long term, or forgo having anything.

Ironically, people often don't realise how much money they spend going to different, separate alternatives when there isn't a single club/location offering the lot under one roof.

[Dove]

Thank you all for your responses and time. Greatly appreciated!!!

I completely see where you're coming from missalena. There is definitely a huge need for a soft Play Centre.
Bertie & Boo closed down as the rent for the property went up. There problem was that they couldn't expand and allow more children to use the facility due to health and safety requirements etc.

I would love to speak to rwickham further to see what obstacles etc his wife faced.
Please contact me via dovefloode@hotmail.co.uk so we can possibly talk further.

Many thanks again all x