Weaning

W
eaning is that time when baby moves from being fed with a bottle to gradually eating more and more recognisable food. But they’re not ready to use the crystal and bone china just yet!

Because baby is usually a few months old before these things are born, mums don’t necessarily buy them in the same place as they bought the pushchair and the cot. And because they are not expensive items, they are often bought as an impulse buy. Mum sees something she likes and buys it without any further thought.

This means that one of the biggest outlets is the supermarket where Mum will pick things up as part of the weekly shop. The pharmaceutical trade is another important outlet – somehow the clinical feel of the local chemist reassures mum.

All this means is that the features of a particular item need to be obvious. Colour and price usually stand out and are often the main prompts to buy. Other features need to be highlighted. Sometimes this is done by means of the packaging or POS material but in other cases, it is up to the retailer to point them out.

However for cups, other mothers are one of the most important sources of information. If one Mum in a group sings the praises of an item, then often the others will also try that particular brand – often buying from the same outlet.

When talking about weaning items, many retailers think only of the obvious – training cups and bowls. But bibs are also an important purchase – again often driven by impulse. Few mums will make a special trip to buy a bib however good or attractive it may be. And there are other items – a baby cooker which steams and blends is not only useful to Mum but is an item with a healthy margin, or specially shaped cutlery.

There is a lot of innovation in this market sector. See the various entries for details. Maybe it’s time you changed your supplier for something with a difference!
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