The following insights are powered by Nielsen in partnership with Unioncrate, an artificial intelligence demand planning platform that combines consumer behavior and historical shipment data to predict sales and inventory with up to 91.6% SKU-level accuracy.

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Welcome to Day 24 of Unioncrate’s Year In Review, looking at the baby feeding supplies category, which saw a 6% decrease in sales in 2020.

Baby Feeding Supplies

• While other subcategories of the baby feeding supplies category were able to be left out of shopping carts in exchange for more pressing items, baby bottles couldn’t be skipped. The category grew 8.2% in the 40-week period since March. 

• Childrens’ feeding utensils were unpopular during the pandemic, falling as low as 30.1% in a single 4-week period. 

• Children’s drinkware, like sippy cups, fluctuated heavily in 2020 with a high of 9.1% and a low of -61.7%.

The Top Stories in the Bottle Biz

• NUK expanded its product line to include an innovative anti-colic bottle, offering a stress-free feeding experience for both parent and baby.

• Nanobebé released a silicone bottle that quickly became a celebrity-favorite, causing it to sell out online as mothers everywhere tried to get their hands on it and find out what the hype is all about.

• As sustainability becomes a key issue for many consumers, disposable baby bottles were overwhelmingly swapped out for reusable ones, a trend noted by market research firm IndustryGrowthInsights as shaping the baby bottle market in 2020.

• A new study found that children can ingest microplastics from their drinkware, leading to a surge in demand for clean-sourced feeding supplies and glass bottles.

Up Next: Baby Formula

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About Unioncrate

Unioncrate is an AI-powered Supply Chain Planning Platform that gives CPG brands the technology they need to compete and win in a rapidly changing consumer landscape. Our automated demand and supply forecasts deliver unmatched accuracy, collaborative visibility, and actionable intelligence, simplifying a manual-heavy process and slashing hours from your week.