Walmart ups the ante in baby-products market
Retailer upgrades, adds to its Parent’s Choice brand
Walmart, having pushed ahead in toys and groceries, announced Wednesday it’s going to make a bigger play in the lucrative babyproducts market.
The world’s biggest retailer says its private baby brand, Parent’s Choice, is adding nearly 120 new items and upgrading roughly 100 more.
Enhancing its baby-product line could give Walmart an edge at attracting younger consumers just as they are starting families, an important consideration as the chain seeks to woo Millennials. The move also comes a week after a major competitor, Toys R Us, a leader in baby products with its Babies R Us sub-chain, filed for bankruptcy reorganization.
The new and updated items will be rolling out into January and are already for sale in many Walmart stores. The products include eco-conscious wipes, spillproof sippy cups, a new 53-piece bedding collection and an expanded menu featuring organic baby food.
There will also be environmentally friendly products such as a “premium’’ diaper with a lining made in part from sustainable wood pulp and baby wipes crafted from recycled T-shirts.
“We’re just making sure that we are on trend with what consumers are looking for today,’’ says Diana Marshall, a vice president for Walmart U.S.
Baby products are big business, with roughly $62.7 billion in U.S. sales last year, according to consultancy GlobalData. In the most recent 52-week period that ended Aug. 26, baby food and baby formula sales alone were $1.7 billion and $4.2 billion respectively, according to Nielsen.
Parent’s Choice is one of several private brands sold by Walmart, which also offers its own signature lines in categories ranging from electronics to groceries.
Though Walmart trails Amazon, it has surpassed Toys R Us in toy sales. And it is now a major player in groceries.