This year has seen major consolidation in the corporate nursery sector, and it looks as if the next 12 months will see plenty more acquisitions - albeit on a more regional basis.
Busy Bees, the UK's largest nursery provider, recently acquired the 71-strong chain Just Learning, bringing its total sites to 214. Back in May, Bright Horizons Family Solutions acquired all of Casterbridge Care Nurseries' 27 settings. Meanwhile, Co-operative Childcare acquired the Petit Enfant Group of four settings, taking its portfolio from six settings to 47 nurseries in 18 months, with two more in the pipeline, and two after-school clubs.
On the whole, there is no special reason for this burst of activity according to Courteney Donaldson, director and head of Childcare at Christie + Co. 'I think it has been driven by the motivations of the owners and investors,' she says. 'They all came together in the same year. A great deal of it is coincidence.
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