Business of Baby 2019

For baby products, the journey from the registry to the gift bag can be complicated, competitive, and often surprising.

Expecting parents constantly add and delete items from their registries. They consult new sources of information. They consider both practical and emotional factors. Gift givers bring entirely different criteria to the equation, influenced by everything from family relationships to budget to baby shower etiquette.

Babylist has the inside view of the $30 billion baby products industry. We see how and when registrants select over 2 million baby products, as well as the purchasing patterns of more than 300,000 gift givers. By distilling this data—and surveying thousands of registrants and gifters—Babylist has uncovered key trends for everyone in the business of baby.

Here we share some key insights.

For modern consumers, convenience wins out over cost

When it comes to building a baby registry, modern parents aren’t particularly price sensitive. If a higher-priced product can solve their problems or make their lives more convenient, Babylist registrants are more than willing to add it to their wish list.

One result of this mindset? A steady increase in average registry value. Given that the number of registry items remained even, this jump translates to a 24% increase in the average item price.

Do innovation and new features automatically translate to higher prices?

Not necessarily. In many categories, prices have remained flat despite the release of new products. At the same time, we’ve observed significant price increases in certain categories year over year. Between 2017 and 2018, the largest of these gains occurred in strollers, monitors and bottles. Download the full report for access to the percent increase by category.

Parents invest multiple days into curating their lists

This selection process starts immediately: Of an average 121 products selected by registrants, 14% are added the first day and 36% have been added by day 10. Cribs, car seats, strollers, and other “must-have” gear are often the earliest products to earn spots on the registry. They’re also among the first items purchased.

For details about the importance of baby showers, the travel system myth and the real goals of gift givers, download the full report.

Methodology

This report is primarily based on data from more than 72,000 registries created on Babylist between January and June 2018. The Babylist research team has also analyzed more than 300,000 gifts given off Babylist registries during the January to June 2018 period. All percentages from these sources have been rounded to the nearest whole number.