Aldi lets parents try before they buy new baby line

When it comes to products for babies, parents pay attention to quality, even if they’re on a budget. So they may need a bit of convincing when it comes to Aldi’s new line of private label baby goods. The budget grocer seems well aware of this, though, as they are giving parents the opportunity to try the products out in the field. Aldi’s line of baby products, called Little Journey, is slated to hit store shelves in mid-August, according to Drug Store News. The Little Journey line will include infant formula, infant-to-toddler snacks (such as organic puree pouches) and changing essentials such as baby wipes and diapers. The chain is promoting the Little Journey line with a campaign called the “Little Journey Mobile Tour.” The 12-date tour, slated to appear at street festivals throughout the country, consists of a traveling pop-up diaper changing station featuring free diapers and baby wipes. Among the destinations are a Generation X-targeted festival in Chicago called Retro on Roscoe which features a lineup of cover bands, as well as the Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival in Dallas. When Aldi entered the U.S. market, the German retailer was known primarily for its low prices and stripped-down store design. But the chain has made recent moves to attract more upscale customers and the experiential marketing for the new baby products line seems in keeping with that. Creating baby private label baby products — specifically diapers — that maintain a budget price point but still provide parents with the quality they need has already proven difficult for at least one of retail’s biggest names, Amazon.com. Last year, Amazon had difficulty succeeding with the private label diapers in its Amazon Elements line and pulled product from virtual shelves after only two months. Earlier in 2016, there was speculation that Amazon intended to relaunch its private label diapers under a new label called Mama Bear. There has been no word on the return of Amazon’s diapers, though The Wall Street Journal reported in June that Amazon had quietly begun selling baby food under the Mama Bear label. 

• ALDI has a special delivery for parents – Drugstore News
• Aldi’s evolution leads to credit cards – RetailWire
• Will an Amazon private label diaper prosper under a new name? – RetailWire
• Little Journey Mobile Tour – Aldi
• Amazon Begins Selling Perishable Private-Label Foods – The Wall Street Journal (sub. required)