Everything for the little ones

Despite the number of babies born decreasing, the selection of baby products is widening. Krisztina Antal, Nestlé Hungária Kft.’s trade marketing manager is of the opinion that young mothers do not economise when it comes to baby products, for instance last year the premium and value for money segments were able to grow a bit, while sales of medium-category products decreased. Csilla Horváth, Medico Uno Kft. Humana’s product manager said that more well-off parents, the buyers of the company’s premium category products, did not buy less. She mentioned that consumer demand was too easily shaped by unreliable information in TV programmes and on online fora. Csilla Cserép, DBN’s trade marketing analyst stressed that by 2010 the baby food product group’s turnover amounted to HUF 14.5 billion, with sales shifting towards higher-price segments (formulas). The baby food market consists of two completely different segments: 1. mother’s milk substituting and supplementing formulas 2. cereals, purées, fruits, menus, baby biscuits which help complementary feeding. DBN focuses mainly on formulas, Nestlé and Humana is active in both segments, while Univer only produces and distributes wet baby food. In the milk-based formula (these include baby milk and junior drinks) category DBN’s Milupa is the market leader: in 2009 it even managed to increase its market share by 9 percentage points. As the Junior Milk product group is growing most dynamically within the segment, Nestlé decided to introduce two new products this year; these will serve to flavour cow’s milk or baby milk. Humana will appear on the market with new, liquid milk drinks in Tetra Pak. Humana Junior Milch – a formula for the Junior age group – will also be introduced this year. Baby cereals resisted the crisis quite well; these products are a safe and simple transition from milk-based to solid food. Milupa found that bottled baby food sold 15 percent better in the spring-summer period. Hipp’s Ilona Guba said that basic feeding product groups contracted the most (bottle food with meat, fruits). Krisztina Deákné Darányi, Univer Product Zrt.’s product category manager accentuated that mothers started paying increased attention to quality. This is the reason why Univer’s baby food is the only product group (all 34 products) in Hungary that contains no added sugar, lactose- or lactalbumin-allergens or gluten. In 2009, they came out with 5 new flavours. Since the target group is changing from year to year, customers need to be informed constantly – for this the most optimal is the product itself. Krisztina Antal, Nestlé’s trade marketing manager added that an optimal shelf presence was also crucial, product categories have to be separated clearly. Gyöngyi Janky, Procter&Gamble’s company relations manager told our magazine that mothers are open to new information and have become more price-sensitive, e.g. they buy cheaper diapers. Adrienne Mayer, SCA Hygiene Products’ trade marketing coordinator pointed out that customers also became more conscious. Dóra Pessenlehner, Libero’s junior product manager spoke about consumers looking for promotions, coupons and prize games. Pampers introduced its Pampers Premium Care diaper last autumn.