Baby and Child-Specific Products in the US

PROSPECTS

Consumer demand for natural products continues

In 2018, baby and child-specific products saw continued demand for products featuring natural and organic ingredients. Similar to other personal care categories, growing demand for natural products stemmed from the added benefits of organic ingredients and greater awareness of potentially harmful synthetic ingredients.

The role of influencers is growing, as in other categories

Playing an even greater role in baby and child-specific products in 2018 were social media influencers, leading to demand for specific brands. With a massive collective following, namely tech-savvy millennial mothers, female influencers on Instagram and YouTube are able to sway the purchasing decisions of many mothers in the US.

Baby toiletries sees a strong performance

Baby and child-specific toiletries stood out for its strong growth in the review period. Due to the rise of the aforementioned natural and premium products which millennial mothers prefer, baby and child-specific toiletries, which encompasses products including bath oils and soaps, benefited.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

An eventful year for Johnson & Johnson

One of the leading players in baby and child-specific products, Johnson & Johnson, had an eventful 2018, as the brand relaunched its Johnson’s Baby line and came under the spotlight for its allegedly dangerous talcum powder products. Having faced lawsuits over the past decade regarding the safety of its talcum powder products and failing to follow the natural products trend, consumers lost faith in the company’s baby care line over time.

Baby Dove’s entry into the market

Whilst Dove launched its new Baby Dove line in 2017, the brand saw its launch come to fruition with high growth in 2018. Stemming from the brand’s recognition as transparent and gentle in adult personal care, Baby Dove has succeeding in marketing itself to millennial mothers concerned with the safety of the products they use for their children.

The effect of the closure of Babies ‘R’ Us

In terms of the distribution of baby and child-specific products, the recent closure of Babies ‘R’ Us in 2018 is likely to shift demand across different existing channels. As Babies ‘R’ Us acted as a one-stop-shop for all baby care needs, its closure highlights the flaws of the business model, as demand has evidently shifted away from baby-specific retailers.

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