Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Expected growth is minimal for baby durables market
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of baby durables, at current prices, 2011-21
- Shifts in composition of families and changing shopping habits
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- Figure 2: Select retailers shopped for baby durables, December 2016
- Recalls negatively impact manufacturers
- The opportunities
- Driving growth through the internet
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- Figure 3: online behaviors and attitudes toward baby durables shopping, December 2016
- Innovative ways of shopping
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- Figure 4: method of acquiring items – bought new, by gender and marital status, December 2016
- Figure 5: method of acquiring items – Bought second hand, by gender and marital status, December 2016
- Gifting is under-utilized
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- Figure 6: Baby durables bought new vs. received new on a registry, by race and Hispanic origin, December 2016
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Smaller family sizes leads to small growth in category
- Delaying milestones means more money to spend, but less people to spend it on
- The American family is changing
Market Size and Forecast
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- Little growth expected in baby durables market
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- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of baby durables, at current prices, 2011-21
- Figure 8: Total US retail sales and forecast of baby durables, at current prices, 2011-21
- Market share by segment
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- Figure 9: Total US retail sales of baby durables, by segment, at current prices, 2016
Market Factors
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- Changes in lifestyles and gender roles impact the American family
- Birth rate trends amongst different demographics
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- Figure 10: Birth rates by year, 2006-15
- Figure 11: Birth rates, by age of mother: United States, 2007, 2014 and 2015
- Adults continue to delay major milestones
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- Figure 12: Parents with children under age 18 in the household, by living arrangement, 2007-16
- Shifts in gender roles
- Median income climbs, while the gender gap closes slightly
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- Figure 13: Median household income, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2005-15
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Consumers turning online
- Traditional retailers struggle
- Innovation expected to help spur growth
What’s Working?
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- Consumers seek new baby durables products, as online shopping plays a bigger role
- Increases in new purchases and items owned
- Leading retailers and brands
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- Figure 14: Target, email ad for baby registry, January 2017
- Figure 15: Amazon, email ad for baby products and Prime, January 2017
What’s Struggling?
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- Traditional retailers are losing shoppers
- Gifting is on the decline
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- Figure 16: Baby durables bought new vs. received new on a registry, by race and Hispanic origin, December 2016
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- Figure 17: Amazon, email ad for baby registry, January 2017
- Future impact
What’s Next?
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- Innovation in digital and technology will help to advance the category
- Forward thinking attitudes will continue to influence the market
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- More consumers are buying new and receiving less, especially from registries
- Consumers continue to prefer certain retailers
- Shoppers head online for research and convenience
- Consumers want safe products
Items Owned
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- Increased or flat ownership in all baby durables categories
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- Figure 18: Baby durables items owned, December 2016
- Furniture
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- Figure 19: Baby related furniture owned, December 2016
- Transport items
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- Figure 20: Baby related transport items owned, December 2016
- Daytime care and/or safety/wellness items
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- Figure 21: Baby related daytime care and/or safety/wellness items owned, December 2016
- Baby related activity items
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- Figure 22: Baby related activity items owned, December 2016
- In their words
Method of Acquiring Items
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- Most baby durables are acquired new, but majority are not coming from gift registries
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- Figure 23: method of acquiring items, December 2016
- Methods vary by demographic
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- Figure 24: method of acquiring items – Bought new, by gender and age, December 2016 METHOD
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- Figure 25: method of acquiring items – Bought new, by gender and marital status, December 2016
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- Figure 26: method of acquiring items – Bought second-hand, by gender and marital status, December 2016
- Figure 27: method of acquiring items – Bought second-hand, by age and household income, December 2016
- Gaps in gift registries and new purchases by race
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- Figure 28: method of acquiring items – Bought new vs. received new via registry, by race and hispanic origin, December 2016
- In their words
Retailers Shopped
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- Mass merchandisers, baby superstores and online retailers continue to grow in share, while traditional retailers struggle
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- Figure 29: Retailers shopped, part 1, December 2016
- Figure 30: Retailers shopped, part 2, December 2016
- What’s driving top retailers?
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- Figure 31: Retailers shopped (in-store or online), by household income and by region, December 2016
- Other retailers losing shoppers
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- Figure 32: babies r us – Trade-in event
- Online becomes key player
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- Figure 33: Retailers shopped – Online, by race and hispanic origin, December 2016
- In their words
Behavior and Attitudes toward Baby Durables Shopping
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- Safety and price outrank brand loyalty
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- Figure 34: Behavior and attitudes toward safety and price when baby durables shopping, by gender and age, December 2016
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- Figure 35: Behavior and attitudes toward safety and price when baby durables shopping, by household income, December 2016
- Online research is an important part of the shopping process
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- Figure 36: online behaviors and attitudes toward baby durables shopping, December 2016
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- Figure 37: Behavior and attitudes toward baby durables shopping – CHAID – Tree output, January 2017
- In their own words
Brand Perceptions
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- Long standing brands see highest rankings
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- Figure 38: Brand perception, December 2016
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- Figure 39: Brand perception, graco, by gender December 2016
- Figure 40: Brand perception, fisher price, by gender December 2016
- In their own words
- Gender neutrality
- In their own words
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 41: Total US retail sales and forecast of baby durables, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
- Figure 42: Average number of people per household, by race and Hispanic origin, 2016
- Figure 43: Median age at first marriage, by gender, 2006-16
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- Figure 44: Median household income, by type of household, 2015
- Figure 45: Median earnings of full-time, year-round workers, by gender and female-to-male earnings ratio, 1960-2015
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