Abstract
The baby durables market covers a vast range of products that parents and parents-to-be acquire in a blur of purchases, baby showers, and gifts from family and friends. The market is obviously dependent on the number of babies, which doesn' t vary much from year to year, and largely still doesn' t have much pricing power as imports exert a deflationary effect. Yet, there are products with rising sales and winning retailing plans. Mintel identifies these, and examines many other key factors that affect the market for baby durable products, by:
" quantifying the impact of stagnant birth rates and declining incomes, as well as exploring the boost that can come from innovation, developing lifestyle appeal and catering to the growing segments of older, affluent mothers.
" showing how the economic and marital status of the mother affects what baby durables are purchased, as well as the impact of childcare and parenting styles on the quantity and type of products purchased.
" reviewing segments that have experienced the strongest growth in recent years and how companies are marketing those products.
" examining innovative approaches to retail that are helping some companies gain a competitive advantage.
" revealing how the shopping patterns of mothers creates opportunities for marketers and product developers.
" studying the elements of drive successful marketing initiatives and brand success.
Table of Contents
- Scope and Themes
- Definition
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Executive Summary
- Stagnant sales due to flat birth rates and lack of pricing power
- Many market drivers--net slightly negative
- Primary drivers of consumer choice and ways to reduce price sensitivity
- Shopping patterns of mothers creates opportunities
- Retail channel analysis
- Drivers of brand success
- Elements of successful marketing initiatives
- Additional ways that moms decide what to buy for baby
- Incidence of ownership and how baby durable products are acquired
- Market Size
- Key points
- Sales and trends
- Figure 1: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby durables, at current prices, 2001-12
- Figure 2: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby durables, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2001-12
- Competitive Context
- Bed, bath, bassinettes and beyond
- The shadow market--a most deflationary effect
- Segment Performance--Overview
- Key points
- Baby furniture
- Daytime care products
- Baby mobility
- Safety/health and wellness
- Figure 3: Total U.S. retail sales of baby durables, by segments, 2001-07
- Segment Performances
- Baby furniture
- Figure 4: U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby furniture, 2001-12
- Figure 5: Baby room furniture, units and dollars, by product type, 2007
- Figure 6: U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby furniture, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2001-12
- Daytime care products
- Figure 7: U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby daytime care products, 2001-12
- Figure 8: Baby Mobility baby durables, units and dollars, by product type, 2007
- Figure 9: U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby daytime care products, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2001-12
- Baby mobility
- Figure 10: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby mobility products, 2001-12
- Figure 11: Baby Mobility baby durables, units and dollars, by product type, 2007
- Figure 12: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby mobility products, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2001-12
- Safety/health and wellness
- Figure 13: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby safety/health and wellness products, 2001-12
- Figure 14: Safety/health and wellness baby durables, units and dollars, by product type, 2007
- Figure 15: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of baby safety/health and wellness products, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2001-12
- Retail Channels
- Key points
- Mass merchandisers and specialty stores dominate the baby durables market
- Figure 16: Retail sales of top 20 baby durables retailers, 2005-06
- Babies "R" Us drives sales with value-added shopping experiences
- The informational and lifestyle retailers: Pottery Barn Kids and Ikea
- The role of the Internet: entice them with decision-making tools, create brand equity and draw them into the store
- Babystyle.com
- Rightstart.com
- Where mothers shop for baby durables
- Figure 17: Retail channel use by moms with kids aged under 4, by income, February-March 2008
- Where gift givers shop for baby durables
- Figure 18: Retail channel use by those giving baby durables as gifts, by income, February-March 2008
- Market Drivers
- Key market drivers
- Birth rates
- Figure 19: Trended incidence of 0-3-year-olds in the U.S., by age, 2004-10
- Figure 20: Annual increases in the number of children under one year of age, 2004-10
- Demographic trends and fertility rates
- Figure 21: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2002-12
- Older mothers on the rise
- Figure 22: United States birth rates, by age of mother, 1990-2005
- Figure 23: U.S. birth rates, by age and race of mother, 2005
- Household incomes
- Figure 24: Median income, by race, 1980-2006
- Figure 25: Number of children under the age of 6, by household income, 2000 and 2005
- Number of first-borns
- Figure 26: Number of first and subsequent births, by age of mother, 1998-2004
- Innovation
- Regulation
- Figure 27: Baby durable product recalls, by brand, 2007
- Manufacturers and Brands
- Dorel
- Graco
- Evenflo
- Advertising and Promotion
- Overview
- Marketing efforts should heavily leverage the Internet
- Leverage baby registries
- Magazines are another important tool for new and expectant mothers
- Figure 28: Select parenting publications, by type, 2007
- Retail should be both fun and informative
- Figure 29: Frequency of use of in-store promotiomal materials, 2006
- Usage--What is Bought, Borrowed, and Gifted
- Key points
- Baby furniture
- Figure 30: How mothers acquire baby room durables, by product type, February-March 2008
- Figure 31: Incidence of furniture gift-giving among women, by product type, February-March 2008
- Safety/health and wellness
- Figure 32: How mothers acquire baby safety/health and wellness durables, by product type, February-March 2008
- Figure 33: How mothers acquire baby safety/health and wellness durables, by product type (continued), February-March 2008
- Figure 34: Incidence of Safety/health and wellness products, by product type, February-March 2008
- Baby mobility
- Figure 35: How mothers acquire baby mobility durables, by product type, February-March 2008
- Figure 36: Incidence of baby mobility gift giving among women, by product type, February-March 2008
- Daytime care
- Figure 37: How mothers acquire daytime care durables, by product type, February-March 2008
- Figure 38: Incidence of daytimer care product giving among women, February-March 2008
- Product and Brand Choice Drivers--How Moms Decide What to Buy for Baby
- Key points
- Mothers as bargain hunters
- Figure 39: Price sensitivity of mothers compared to the general population, January-September 2007
- Quality and benefit factors: How mothers weigh price and value
- Figure 40: Product choice drivers among toddler mothers, 2006
- Figure 41: Toddler furniture choice drivers, 2006
- Role of child preferences in purchase decisions
- Figure 42: The role of children in decisions about what to buy, January-September 2007
- Parenting style: Child-centered is the current trend
- Figure 43: Summary of trends in breastfeeding, by year, 1995-2004
- The sustainability trend
- Shopping Patterns--How Moms Shop for Baby Durables
- Key points
- Mothers of young children shop frequently
- Figure 44: The frequency with which mothers with young children shop, January-September 2007
- Mothers are very discerning shoppers who enjoy the process
- Figure 45: The tendency of mothers to enjoy shopping and shop for extended periods, January-September 2007
- Consumers tend to research products before purchasing
- Figure 46: Shopping attitudes of female purchasers, by income, February-March 2008
- Figure 47: Shopping attitudes of female purchasers, by age, February-March 2008
- Mothers tend to shop across channels in search of bargains
- Figure 48: The tendency of mothers to shop across channels in search of bargains, January-September 2007
- Mothers often shop with their children and others
- Figure 49: The tendency of mothers to shop with family and friends, January-September 2007
- Race and Ethnicity
- Key points
- Minority groups tend to enjoy shopping more than whites
- Figure 50: Affinity to shopping, by race/ethnicity, January-September 2007
- White mothers tend to focus more on sales than Hispanics and blacks
- Figure 51: Price sensitivity, by race/ethnicity, January-September 2007
- Black and Hispanic mothers are more likely to be influenced by their
children when making purchase decisions
- Figure 52: Attitudes towards chidlren, by race/ethnicity, January-September 2007
- Hispanic, black, and white mothers share many values but there are subtle
differences
- Figure 53: Personal values of mothers, by race/ethnicity, January-September 2007
- Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
- Figure 54: How mothers acquire baby durables, by income (1 of 3), February-March 2008
- Figure 55: How mothers acquire baby durables, by income (2 of 3), February-March 2008
- Figure 56: How mothers acquire baby durables, by income (3 of 3), February-March 2008
- Figure 57: Type of baby carrier owned, February-March 2008
- Figure 58: Price paid for selected items, by income, February-March 2008
- Figure 59: Price paid for selected items, by age, February-March 2008
- Figure 60: How mothers acquire baby durables, by age, February-March 2008
- Appendix: Trade Associations
