Bringing online and in-store payments together
Ecommerce
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“We use Mollie’s technology precisely to create more space for personal contact in the shop. ”
Patrick Michielsens, General Manager of Dreambaby
About Dreambaby
Welcoming a child is a warm and emotional moment. Expectant parents need guidance and support, and that’s exactly what Dreambaby provides. Part of the Vanhalst Retail Group since 2024, the baby specialist operates 30 shops and a large online store. With a team of 300 employees and over 400 brands, they offer everything from car seats to complete nurseries. They’ve combined digital convenience with highly personal in-store service to give new parents the best possible start.
“A gift voucher you buy in-store must also be usable online. Mollie helps ensure that this omnichannel approach actually works from a technical perspective.”
Aron Vanoverberghe, Senior Business Development Manager @ Mollie
The challenge
Expectant parents increasingly start their shopping journey online. Dreambaby sees its strongest growth with their webshops, where customers create 70% of all baby registries. Online shoppers often buy more, too. In fact, the average online receipt is almost double the in-store amount.
“70% of our baby registries are now created online. Since customers have been able to have items from their baby registries delivered to their homes, this has given our online shop a significant boost.” – Patrick Michielsens, General Manager of Dreambaby
But physical shops remain just as important. Customers want to feel the materials of a pushchair and get expert advice before they buy. At the same time, buying in physical stores allows customers to receive personal advice and guidance from the staff.
“You don’t usually just buy a pushchair or car seat online without seeing it first. People want to compare, feel the materials and get advice. That combination of digital convenience and personal service remains hugely valuable to us.” – Patrick Michielsens, General Manager of Dreambaby
This mix of online and offline retail created a complex challenge behind the scenes. Previously, Dreambaby used separate systems for web and in-store payments. It made life difficult for their team. Processing refunds was slow, and the finance team faced a higher risk of errors. And customers expect a fluid experience across all channels. For example, if a shopper buys a gift voucher in-store, they want to use it on the website. Without a connected payment system, Dreambaby struggled to make these cross-channel experiences work. They needed a reliable payment provider that could offer quick support and bring everything together in one place. To seamlessly integrate the physical shops and the online channel, Dreambaby chose Mollie as its central payment partner.
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The solution
Mollie provided a single integrated platform that enables Dreambaby’s Shopify webshop and Odoo ERP system to communicate continuously.
As Aron Vanoverberghe, Mollie’s Senior Business Development Manager, notes, many retailers underestimate the technical complexity behind the scenes. “Customers expect everything to just work, but systems have to constantly communicate with one another,” he explains. “A gift voucher you buy in-store, for example, must also be usable online. That’s far less straightforward than it seems.”
Today, Dreambaby manages all its transactions in one place. Mollie processes their online payments and powers their in-store payment terminals, helping them accept local payment methods such as Bancontact, Belfius, and KBC, as well as modern mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
By synchronising all data flows, Mollie removes the technical barriers between the website and the shop floor.
The results
Partnering with Mollie helped Dreambaby simplify their business and improve the customer experience. Here is how:
One clear overview: Staff no longer have to switch between different systems. Everything sits in one central place, making admin work easy. “This gives us a much better overview,” says Michielsens. “Previously, our staff had to work in different systems. Now everything is in one place.”
Faster, more accurate processing: Automation speeds up refunds and significantly reduces the risk of manual errors.
A connected shopping experience: Customers enjoy a fluid journey, whether they pay online, in-store, or with a gift voucher across different channels.
More time for what matters: Because the technology just works, staff spend less time on administration. They’ve got more time to offer valuable advice and support to new parents.
Reliability is vital when handling checkout flows across dozens of locations. Patrick Michielsens stresses how important this peace of mind is for their operations. “The payment system must be stable. And if something does go wrong, rapid support is absolutely crucial.” In Mollie, Dreambaby found a partner that offers both that stability and reliable support for essential local payment methods such as Bancontact, Belfius, and KBC.
Such reliability changes how the team works on the ground. Patrick highlights the impact on their daily customer care. “Previously, our staff had to work in different systems. Now everything is in one place. We use Mollie’s technology precisely to create more space for personal contact in the shop. By removing administrative and technical barriers, our staff can focus more on advice and guidance."
Looking forward to the future
Dreambaby continues to grow, with plans to open six more shops by the end of 2026. They’re investing heavily in creating warm, boutique-style stores full of inspiration.
“In the past, our shops were mainly designed to be functional. Today, we want to move much more towards a warm and cosy boutique feel, where customers can also find inspiration.” – Patrick Michielsens
As Dreambaby expands, Mollie will be right there with them, providing reliable, easy-to-use payments so Dreambaby can focus on what they do best: helping parents get ready for their new arrivals.
Explore the Mollie solution for online and in-person payments.