Winter 2019
Trends in Baby Gifting By Kristin Kropp

Gifting for new babies and their parents is a growing market with no signs of slowing down with the average spent on a friend or family member’s new addition nearing $150 – $200. However, it isn’t just the arrival of a new baby which leads to gift buying; research reveals that consumers will purchase, on average, 17 gifts between the pregnancy being announced and the child turning one – meaning that retailers are missing out if they are not carrying giftable options in store. Aside from pet, the baby gifting market is the top growing retail opportunity in the industry.

Consumers are looking for unique gifts that have a personal hand-selected feel. Being able to use baskets and boxes to arrange and curate their own personalized mix is a gift presentation trend – and retailers can assist in this desire and carry items purposely designed to mix and match together beautifully. Toys, accessories, décor and textiles can be selected to accommodate varying budgets and gifting reason.

It is critical to have a cohesive assortment to make it easy to select and assemble – something Primitives by Kathy had in mind as they created Happy+Bright, a new collection for baby, created in collaboration with Cathy Heck Studio. While there are distinctly different themes, they were all created with anchor neutrals that make it easy to create a gift presentation the gifter can be proud of.

Another gifting and social trend are milestone items – documenting and sharing these milestones has grown in popularity with the rise of social media announcements and documentation from pregnancy through year one and beyond. Blankets, blocks and even pillows not only count the months and weeks – but celebrate first holidays and offer customizable hand-written milestones to be added – creating even more personalization opportunities – an unstoppable trend in itself.

When it comes to design – the modern nursery is focused on being transitional, incorporating pieces that are perfect for the first days through the first years. Gender-neutral color palettes and furniture items appear within the modern nursery, combining beauty and practicality. Animal icons and soft hand-done iconography and illustrations are the top motifs adding personality in nursery design when translated through the neutral palettes and muted -colors. Sun-bleached dusky hues with pink tones almost becoming neutrals creates a look that works across gender.

There’s a focus on softness for nursery textiles, achieved through layering tonal fabrics, blankets and soft pillows and toys. Attractive quality fabrics like embroidered linen blends and velvet elevate decorative accents – while brushed cotton remains practical.

Despite being a space which now feels more refined in appearance, the newborn nursery is ultimately a safe-haven for the baby and the styling of toys emphasizes this calm mood. Crafted and thoughtful toys is the trend within product design, ideal for nursery styling. Consumers invest in fewer, but higher quality toys and sustainability plays an essential role in toy selection, with consumers more readily steering away from plastic options and more towards natural and renewable materials – like the Happy+Bright cotton-linen blend rattles and stuffed softies. This material trend also translates to functional items, which is why Happy+Bright coordinating meal sets are made from bamboo.

And finally, while the presentation, functionality and design are important – it comes down to safety and quality. Consumers are looking for items they can be confident in gifting or purchasing for themselves including toxin-free paint, safe textiles and sustainable materials. Happy+Bright has been years in the making – the design, the item variety and the materials were all carefully decided upon and perfected – because when it comes to welcoming a new addition, creating a haven in a home or capturing milestones – every detail matters.

Photos courtesy of Primitives By Kathy. Click here for free product information.

Kristin Kropp

Kristin Kropp is a seasoned marketing professional who has spent her career in home products and décor. She is the director of marketing for one of the leaders in home and gift, Primitives By Kathy where she lends her mutual passion for creativity and customer data to their comprehensive marketing strategy. She is dedicated to staying on the cusp of developing trends and enjoys sharing her insights and knowledge with others.





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