Interview With Juliette Savage, Commercial Director At Little Starts Gift Cards On Creating Gifting Experiences For Kids

Can you tell us what Little Starts Gift Cards is and what inspired you to build an experience-led gifting platform for families?

Little Starts Gift Cards is all about making it easy to gift experiences for families with babies, toddlers and preschoolers – things like Baby Sensory, Water Babies, music sessions, messy play, baby massage or early learning activities – instead of more physical “stuff.”

Our platform and directory are entirely built in-house and are designed to be incredibly comprehensive. Whether a customer purchases directly through us or via a retail partner such as John Lewis, Argos or Waitrose, cardholders can use the platform to identify and locate classes in their local area.

The idea really came from lived experience. So many families end up overwhelmed with gifts that are lovely in theory but quickly outgrown, duplicated, or just not that useful. Meanwhile, the things that really make a difference – getting out of the house, trying new activities, meeting other parents, are often the things families are paying for themselves.

We wanted to offer a more thoughtful gift option: something that supports a child’s development, reduces waste, and helps families feel more connected in those early years.

What problem were you trying to solve in the traditional gifting market for babies, toddlers and preschool-aged children?

A lot of gifting in this space is still very product-focused, often leading to over-accumulation. Parents can end up with piles of things they don’t need, while still juggling the cost of classes and activities that actually benefit their child – whether that’s Water Babies swimming lessons, Baby Sensory classes or toddler music groups.

There’s also a growing shift in expectations – for example, research shows that 62% of grandparents want to give a gift that isn’t plastic (ICAP).

We wanted to reflect that shift. By making it easy to gift experiences, we’re helping families cut down on unnecessary “stuff” and instead access things that support learning, development and social interaction.

It’s a small change, but it makes gifting feel much more useful – and a lot less wasteful.
 

You’re positioning gifting around experiences rather than physical products – why do you think this shift is happening now?

People are becoming much more conscious about how and what they buy. There’s a growing awareness of the impact of overconsumption, and a real desire to give gifts that feel meaningful rather than just adding to the clutter.

At the same time, parents really value experiences that help their children learn and grow. Classes aren’t just about keeping little ones busy – they’re where children develop confidence and where parents often meet their support network.

So experience gifting just makes sense right now. It’s more thoughtful, more sustainable, and ultimately more valuable.

The platform already includes more than 200 providers and over 20,000 classes. What has driven this early traction?

Honestly, a lot of it comes down to how quickly the idea clicks with people.

Families immediately recognise the problem – we’ve all seen the pile of unopened toys or outgrown clothes – and they love the idea of gifting something more meaningful. There’s also something really special about giving a memory or an experience rather than an object.

On the provider side, we’re helping brilliant local businesses and nationally recognised class brands like Baby Sensory and Water Babies reach new families and fill their classes. It’s still quite a fragmented space, so being able to bring everything together in one place has been really powerful.

Retail partnerships have also played an important role in this growth. Having Little Starts gift cards available through retailers including John Lewis, Argos and Waitrose has helped us reach a much wider audience and make experience gifting feel accessible and mainstream.

How important is the postcode-based discovery feature in helping families find local classes and build community?

It’s a huge part of what makes the platform work. When you have young children, convenience matters – but so does feeling connected.

Being able to quickly find something nearby removes a lot of friction. But beyond that, these classes are often where parents meet each other, especially during maternity or paternity leave which can feel quite isolating.

That’s where the “village” comes in. We’re not just helping people book classes – we’re helping them find their people.

Are you seeing changing behaviour from parents and gift-givers when it comes to more intentional or sustainable spending?

Definitely. More and more parents are asking for fewer physical gifts, and people are really open to alternatives.

There’s a clear shift towards being more intentional – choosing gifts that are actually useful, or that create a shared experience. Sustainability plays a big part in that too.

Experience gifting ticks both boxes. It reduces waste, but it also feels more personal and meaningful.

What challenges come with building a marketplace that connects families with class providers across the UK?

One of the biggest challenges is just how fragmented the space is. There are so many amazing class providers out there, all doing things slightly differently.

Our job is to bring that together in a way that feels simple and seamless for families, while still keeping the individuality of each provider. That takes time, strong relationships and the right technology behind the scenes – which is why having an entirely in-house built platform is so important to us.

There’s also an element of changing habits – encouraging people to think differently about gifting. But once they see the value, it tends to resonate quite quickly.

Looking ahead, what’s next for Little Starts as you continue expanding your provider network and growing your user base?

Our main focus is on expanding access – bringing more providers onto the platform so that families across the UK can benefit, wherever they are.

We’re also really excited about working with corporate partners, helping businesses offer more meaningful, experience-led benefits to employees with young families. It’s a natural fit, especially as companies think more about wellbeing and support during early parenthood.

Alongside that, we’re continuing to grow our retail partnerships, ensuring that Little Starts gift cards are available wherever customers choose to shop – whether that’s online or in retailers like John Lewis, Argos and Waitrose.

At the same time, we’re continuing to improve the platform – making it easier to discover classes, more personalised, and more relevant to each family.

Ultimately, we want Little Starts to become the go-to for this kind of gifting – a simple way to give something that genuinely helps a child grow, reduces unnecessary “stuff”, and helps families build their village.