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 Baby Care - November/December 2006  |
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Baby in a Bottle
Accessories, accessories, and more accessories a plethora of baby products can be found at retailers nationwide; bright colors and designs beckon from store shelves, calling out to parents and children alike. When it comes to baby, retailers have to entice new parents with colorful, playful, and safe accessories. A walk down many retailers’ stores typifies the wide assortment of items available to shoppers. Mass merchandisers come out on top with exciting baby accessory lines, but there are some drug chains that do offer lines as well. However, the drug store offerings appear to be limited compared to mass merchandisers. Let’s take a look at Wal-Mart, Bentonville, AR, a retailer that offers an array of fabulous baby clothing, feeding accessories and miscellaneous items such as blankets and bibs. The two lines that carry baby items are Parent’s Choice and Baby Connection. The Parent’s Choice collection covers non-clothing items and the Baby Connection line includes clothing and bedding products. Under the Parent’s Choice line is a variety of health check bottles that are anticolic and bubble free. One pack for infants 0+months costs $2.96. A three pack of the same bottle is $7.76 and comes with a slow flow nipple and is described as being ideal from birth. There is also a milk powder dispenser, which sells for $2.46. Located besides these standard baby items is the Parent’s Choice collection of baby feeding products with interesting shapes, and vibrant colors. For instance, the line includes a No-Spill Cup for ages 6+months. The bright orange and yellow cup has side handles, which are easy for a child’s hands to hold, and a dual-flo valve that prevents spills and reduces leaks. The cup costs $2.96. Another item that stands out is a 4 pack fork and spoon set with soft grip handles. The forks and spoon come in colors such as yellow and orange with polka dots and blue and green with polka dots as well. The set sells for $2.76. In terms of clothing, Wal-Mart displays a wide assortment including bibs, blankets, and slippers. The line contains adorable slipper sets in plush material. The sets includes slippers and a small animal coordinating with the animal represented (a pair of pink rabbits, blue bears, yellow ducks or green frogs). Additionally, there is a 3-piece, 100% cotton bedding collection that include a comforter, crib sheet, 4-sided bumper guard. The sets are designed in pink and pastel colors with flowers, and a zoo theme in blues and greens, with lions, zebras, and monkeys. Babies on Target Similar to Wal-Mart, Target, Minneapolis, MN, offers shoppers a plethora of baby items, under two main lines, Circo for accessories and cloths, and the Cherokee brand, which is an exclusive line for Target. In terms of accessories, under its Circo line, Target carries an assortment of items. A specific item that stands out is the collection of feeding products such as a set of infants’ spoons that are similar to Wal-Mart’s. However, under the Circo line is a travel spoon set for $3.99, that is convenient and compact–perfect to take in the car, or on a plane to feed baby without any spills. The set comes with three spoons in colors such as combinations of purple and pink, orange and yellow, and green and pink. The set also includes a small carrying case. Another interesting item is a pacifier set which features a pacifier with a silicone nipple, and a pacifier attacher. The set comes in a variety of designs and colors, including pink with a purple and pink butterfly. A statement on the package warns the user against tying the pacifier around the child’s neck, as it presents a strangulation danger. The set costs $1.99. A product at Target that was not seen at other retailers was an assortment of bibs, both in Spanish and English. There are bibs with sayings in English, such as “Where’s Breakfast,” “Let’s do Lunch,” and “Snack Time.” Then, there are bibs that read in both Spanish and English, “I love Mommy,” and “I love Grandpa.” The Spanish bibs are under the name, Circo Babero. The Circo line also has a display with clothes for both infants and toddlers. But, its exclusive Cherokee brand carries a more extensive line. Products include trendy infant and toddler items such as sparkly jeans, peasant skirts, tiny wool skirts, overalls, jean jackets, and polo shirts, all of these items range in cost from $8.99 to $11.99. Kmart Babies Along with Target and Wal-Mart, Kmart, Troy, MI, comes out on top with its baby products. The retailer’s Small Wonders collection displays plenty of products such as a 4-piece crib set in designs such as zoo animals in primary colors, and hearts in pastel colors. The set, priced at $49.99 includes an embellished comforter, bumper pad, crib sheet, and crib ruffle. The range also features a variety of blankets such as a triple applique blanket for $8.99, and a luxury plush blanket, for $9.99. In addition, a darling product on display is a security blanket with a small bear holding the blanket. The blanket comes in either pink or blue. Under the Small Wonder name, Kmart offers a variety of items that provide an original way to record baby’s birth information. The collection includes birth certificate pillows with spaces for name, year, time, weight, and length of the customer’s baby. The pillows are designed with zoo animals, butterflies and flowers, or planes, boats and cars. Kmart also sells a music mobile that rotates to “Brahms’ Lullaby.” This item costs $19.99. Now, onto clothing. Kmart’s baby clothing bears the Small Wonder name for infants, and Wonder Kids for toddlers. Shoppers can find clothing such as bibs for $4.99, a 3-piece creeper set, and a cardigan and sweatpants set. Clothing for toddlers feature trendy items such as khaki corduroys, and overalls, priced at an average range of $12.99. As an endnote, a collection of baby items was also found at CVS, Woonsocket, RI. It seems that drugstores don’t usually carry extensive lines of baby products, besides diapers and wet wipes. CVS teams up with Nûby for its collection of baby products. An interesting item on display is a Non-Drip Bottle with a silicone Vari-Flo Nûby nipple.
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Price Chopper, Schenectady, NY, has had its old diaper packaging on the market for about 10 years. PL had the chance to speak with representatives of the company and below states the changes that have been made and the reasons for the changes. According to the retailer, the look of their diapers was very out-dated. Diaper packaging has changed so much over the years - it is much brighter and more fun than it ever was. And, the national brands really take advantage of using licensed characters–it seems to lend more credibility to the product if Dora or Winnie the Pooh or some familiar children’s character is on it. Up until now, Price Chopper hasn’t had that option for their diapers.