Kirkland Signature Premium Diapers (All Sizes) Diapers Review

NEW York -- Few segments of the baby care category have seen as much innovation in recent years as disposable diapers.

With suppliers of the largest national brands and those catering to the store brand side of the market working to meet evolving consumers and differentiating their products from those of their competitors the disposable diaper market is seeing dramatic changes.

Recently suppliers have introduced disposable diapers with superior fit and the ability to absorb and contain wetness.

While private label products have made a strong impact on the category over the past few years, branded manufacturers have begun using aggressive pacing and promotion to remain competitive.

Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G), for instance, recently began a new marketing campaign for its Luvs brand of diapers.

Based on the Beatles song "All You Need Is Love," the "All You Need is Luvs" campaign coincides with Pig's introduction of Luvs diapers with new Bear Hug Stretch, a feature that marketers say gives the diapers more stretch than almost any other brand on the market.

Executives stress that incorporating Bear Hug Stretch into the Lug's line has not led to an increase in the product's pricing.

"In today's world it can be challenging to provide our families with the best while also maintaining a budget," Luvs brand manager Patrick Kraus notes. "We know that new Luvs with Bear Hug Stretch will help families do just that."

The new diapers in sizes 3 to 6.P&G are initially debuting. Smaller sizes, including newborn and sizes 1 and 2, will be introduced in December.

In addition to their promotional efforts and new technologies, suppliers of branded products have extended the disposable category to include training pants for toddlers.

These new items, which use new technology to help children make the transition out of diapers, have helped expand the reach of the national brands in their battle with private label manufacturers.

Last month, for example, Kimberly-Clark Corp. expanded its lineup to include products aimed at young children who wet the bed.

Goodnight Sleep Boxers and Sleep Shorts are said to be the first disposable youth pants that look and feel like boxer-style sleepwear.

The style of the pants, together with an odor-control feature, helps provide a sense of normalcy to children who suffer from bed-wetting.

The National Kidney Foundation estimates that there are 5 million to 7 million children between the ages of 5 and 12 in the United States who wet the bed.

The reasons for the condition vary, Kimberly-Clark executive's note, ranging from heredity to bladder development. Sometimes deep sleep can trigger an episode.

"Bed-wetting is a stage of development that many children experience but will eventually outgrow with patience and time," Bob Tribal, president of Kimberly-Clark's North American personal care products, states. "However, this condition can affect a child's self-esteem and ability to relax at bedtime."

Products like Goodnights Sleep Boxers and Sleep Shorts, he claims, provide a unique way to help children overcome the emotional stress associated with bed-wetting.

Meanwhile, on the private label side of the disposable diaper market, Request Inc. continues to challenge the national brands with its line of disposable diapers and training pants.

A spokesman for the company says the company's products employ cutting-edge technology. In addition, he notes, Request conducts frequent consumer research to stay abreast with what parents and babies want from a diaper, incorporating these findings into its product line.

"The end result," the spokesman ads, "is to give our customers and consumers the highest-quality store brand diapers and training pants."

The industry's other high-profile private label supplier--First Quality Enterprises Inc.--recently announced the creation of a separate company for its baby diaper business.

It, too, says the new company, will put advanced technology into its store brand disposable diapers.

"Consistent with our other companies, First Quality's baby diaper facility will utilize leading-edge technology to produce items with the most updated features, with scale, to be able to meet the most stringent market demands," the company noted in a statement.