Baby and Child-Specific Products in the United Arab Emirates

2021 DEVELOPMENTS

Baby wipes registers strongest year-on-year growth

While baby and child-specific products recorded an overall positive performance in 2021, baby wipes continued to account for the highest proportion of overall value sales. The continued hypervigilance of cleanliness and the convenience baby wipes afford busy parents helped to fuel further growth.

Established brands are expanding portfolios and capitalising on consumer trust

Well-known multinational beauty and personal care brands such as Vaseline, Cetaphil, Dove and Aveeno are capitalising on consumer perceptions of trust and brand recognition by expanding the range of baby and child- specific products they carry. Key brands in the category such as Johnson’s Baby, Mustela and Sebamed sustain their shares fuelled by customer trust and high levels of perceived efficacy.

Asian mass products start to enter category

Historically, this category has been dominated by higher-priced brands with a European positioning. In 2021, an increasing number of mass-priced Asian brands, specifically from Japan, gained a greater footprint, by offering consumers value for money and are slowly becoming more influential.

PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

“Mommy blogs” become increasingly important

There has been an explosion of “mommy blogs” in the United Arab Emirates, which offer information and advice to young mothers to support consumer-based decision making. Chat rooms and online discussions are increasingly influential drivers for many local parents, the main consumer group for baby and child-specific products, as they are keen to learn from their peers and parent groups about the safety and efficacy of certain products.

Growth potential for baby and child-specific sun care

This is real potential for the growth of baby and child-specific sun care as the United Arab Emirates has a year-round sunny climate. However, the general perception is that adult skin care is adequate for children and there are few reasons to buy child-specific formulations, not to mention the inconvenience of having to carry more than one bottle of sun protection to the beach.

Apparel and footwear specialist retailers expanding offer

Retailers such as Mothercare and Babyshop are catering for parents who want a one-stop-shop for their baby and child-specific products. At the end of the review period, grocery retailers and chemists/pharmacies were the leading distribution channels for the category but apparel and footwear specialist retailers are beginning to dedicate greater shelf space to niche brands.