I recently gave birth to my second child in February. Our first was born five years ago and as I returned to the baby aisles months ago, I was overwhelmed by the unfamiliar selection of baby products that had evolved and grew in just five short years. From sound machines controlled by an app on your phone to smart thermometers tracking trends in baby’s health and reporting them to an app or a sock that measure’s an infant’s heart rate and breathing (alerting if either falls outside of normal ranges) to sleepers that now zip top to bottom allowing only the bottom half to be exposed while changing baby’s diaper, to endless organic and chemical-free diapers, skin and sun care options.
It’s known that the number of babies being born in the U.S. is at an all time low. So why is it that the baby care market continues to grow? Although younger generations are choosing to have fewer kids, they’re taking on a quality over quantity approach. In addition, the average age of parents across the globe is much higher. Higher-aged parents are thought to have higher, more disposable incomes, allowing for the ability to purchase high-tech, high-end, healthy items for baby. Furthermore, there’s a growing number of women in the workforce, also contributing to a family’s disposable income. Parents will spend high-dollar to have “what’s best” for baby or the top-selling items in the industry.
It’s anticipated that the global baby products industry will only continue to rise. According to a report by Grand View Research, Inc the baby product industry is expected to reach USD 16.78 billion by 2025. Brands will cater to the “quality of quantity” outlook as parents no longer register for “the basics” but for “the best”- looking for the latest in high-tech gadgets, organic and high-end. Regardless of a shrinking birth rate, today’s parents are spending more per baby and the baby care market will continue to evolve and grow. I can only imagine what the baby aisles will offer in the next five years…