New moms seek natural, organic baby products

As more millennials start to have babies, retailers from coast to coast are targeting these new parents with an array of natural and technologically-advanced products, and a more “mom-friendly” baby care offering.

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“We believe first-time moms of this generation are very much seeking natural healthcare solutions to treat their children,” said Les Hamilton, EVP at Hyland’s, which markets homeopathic baby care formulas used to treat everything from teething pain to colic, according to IRI.



Marketers said that like parents of past generations, millennials seek out products they know are safe and effective. More than ever, they noted, that has come to mean natural formulas and organics.



“The new generation of first-time parents understands that organic is not just a marketing buzzword,” said Melinda Olson, CEO of Earth Mama Angel Baby, which offers an extensive line of organic pregnancy, post-partum, breast-feeding and baby care items. “They use it as a true yardstick with which to gauge safety, purity and label transparency.”



While suppliers like Hyland’s and Earth Mama have seen their product lines attract mothers seeking natural and organic alternatives, others have targeted millennials’ love of technology.



Church & Dwight, for instance, recently debuted the world’s first Bluetooth-enabled pregnancy test stick. The Pregnancy PRO digital pregnancy test syncs directly to the First Response app on a user’s mobile device.



For some retailers, attracting millennial moms has gone beyond just rethinking their baby care mix.



Supermarket chain Hy-Vee, for instance, has set aside space in more than 50 of its stores across the Midwest for what it-calls “mother’s rooms” — areas that are equipped with comfortable chairs, a table, sink and diaper-changing table.



“The purpose of our mother’s rooms is to reduce barriers to breast-feeding by providing mothers with a private, quiet place to feed their children,” senior communications manager Tina Potthoff said. “As customers’ expectations and schedules continue to change, establishing this important space is taking a big step in creating an extraordinary customer experience.”