Truck and Barter

The Baby-Goods Industry

y two reactions to this article on the baby goods business: "You've got to be kidding me!" and "Who are these people?"

Like many parents-to-be, my wife and I are spending our last few babyless weeks in a panic-purchase feedback loop. Anxiety and uncertainty fuel impulsive trips to baby-goods superstores, whose gargantuan inventories only beget more anxiety and uncertainty, to which we -- good American consumers that we are -- respond by filling an oversize shopping cart until it's difficult to steer. ("Honey, do we need one of these vibrating Pack 'N Play play yards in Ivy League print with optional canopy accessory? Are you sure? The mother on the package seems awfully happy that she has one . . . .")

I'm sorry, but this "feedback loop" is not a problem with markets. It's not a problem with consumers, or with superstores, or with manufacturers. It's just not a problem at all.

I count myself as a "good" American consumer, and as a devoted father of a 21 month old, I can tell you that I had no anxiety in such stores, never felt social pressure (except from insistent relatives) to buy anything. I would never engage in "impulsive" trips to baby stores, and never once filled an oversize shopping cart.

We did spend a lot of money on a stroller, car seat, crib and chaging table, because a) we saw quality for our dollar, and b) we like stuff that looks cool, and can afford to pay for it.

There will always be those who don't mind using their children to broadcast their wealth, but for the most part, America's $6 billion-a-year baby gear industry thrives on two seemingly incompatible mindsets that tend to coexist in new parents: terror and schmaltz.

And there will always be those who can't help thinking that everybody is out to impress them. Terror and schmaltz? How about being an adult and having self-responsibility? Again, who are these people? Apparently, they are the kind that would drop dead if they ever entered a Wal-Mart Supercenter:

When they arrived at Babies 'R' Us in Silver Spring, Zambotti found the experience of entering its 37,000-square-foot space "overwhelming," she says. "I was paralyzed. I just stood there in the front of the store. We decided we had to go get lunch before we could even go in. We didn't even buy anything that day."

Paralyzed?!?! Another woman feels guilty for not having a complete nursery ready for the newborn -- as if it could possibly make a difference to the baby!

We bought baby furniture that matched our office furniture, which made sense since our nursery was also our "office" -- we just moved the desk over to the side. However, the crib was in our bedroom for 6 months. No guilt here folks.

Then there are the self-help authors, who of course, have absolutely no incentive to make it sound like reading their books are in any way necessary:

Iovine urges new parents -- and especially new mothers -- to take a deep breath and stay calm when faced with the vast sea of supposed "must-haves." But she knows it can be hard to stand up to aggressive product marketing -- not to mention parenting books and magazines filled with alarming anecdotes -- aimed directly at this emotionally vulnerable population.

Can anybody tell me what "aggressive product marketing" is? Do the car-seat manufacturers send out goons to physically threaten parents-to-be? Do toy manufacturers send out leaflets that imply that you're a terrible parent if you don't spend $1000 on flashing lights?

What surprises me is that people actually buy things because they think that a smiling baby on a box implies that their baby won't be happy without one.

My wife and I bought NOTHING that was in any way advertised or promoted to us; instead, we made decisions based on the relative quality, prices, and styles of the goods we wanted.

I believe that nearly all parents have the simple ability to think, "these magazines are just magazines". I remember reading a lot about doctors' opinions, but very, VERY little about scientifically demonstrated results.

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I do wish however that formula manufacturers would stop pretending that breastfeeding is just another choice...

Posted at May 5, 2005 09:42 AM

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