BABY AISLES COME OF AGE

MARYELLEN LO BOSCO

At a time when many large supermarkets are creating one-stop baby aisles, some smaller chains are making names for themselves as well.

Kings Super Markets, an upscale chain headquartered in West Caldwell, N.J., is one such retailer. SN analyzed the diaper section, which averages 16 feet, at five of its stores: in Short Hills, Summit, Chatham, Florham Park and Morristown, N.J. All five units stock Pampers, Luvs and Huggies, while four offer at least one private-label diaper brand. SN evaluated Kings because it is has been expanding its baby sections while working within a limited amount of space.

Although all the Kings baby care sections are attractively merchandised, the Florham Park store is the most aesthetically pleasing. Prices in all the units were in complete conformity. While Kings doesn't use compare-and-save signs, it includes diapers in its frequent-shopper program and circular ads.

Kings strategy in the diaper section is indicative of the change in the diaper business. Diapers are no longer a loss leader for supermarkets, although they are still close to a break-even category, according to Tim O'Connor, senior consultant at Cannondale Associates, Wilton, Conn.

O'Connor said the category changed when Proctor & Gamble, Cincinnati, maker of Pampers and Luvs, restaged its diapers and changed the counts three years ago, while giving up margins so retailers could accommodate bigger packs and new items. Not long after, the other major players followed P&G's lead, and private-label diapers also came down in price.

Diapers remain a major traffic driver in retail stores, since they're an everyday purchase. "Grocery and mass know that this is something Mom needs to buy, along with wipes and food," said O'Connor.

At the Kings unit in Short Hills, 18 feet are devoted to diapers, 8 linear feet to training pants and 12 linear feet stocked with wipes. Four feet of baby care products, 4 feet of formula and 14 feet of baby food round out the section.

On the top shelf are Pampers Premium. During an in-store visit two weeks ago, the store carried size 1 (8 to 14 pounds), 60 count; size 2 (12 to 18 pounds), 52 count; size 3 (16 to 28 pounds), 44 count; size 4 (more than 22 pounds), 40 count; and size 5 (more than 27 pounds), 36 count. All the premium diapers sold for $14.49.

Pampers Regular diapers, called "Baby Dry Stretch Thin Diapers," are available in regular and jumbo sizes. The jumbos, which have smaller counts than the premiums, sell for $14.49. For example, size 5 (more than 27 pounds) has a 44 count; size 4 (22 to 37 pounds), 48 count; and size 3 (16 to 28 pounds), 56 count.

Pampers regular in smaller packs sell for $7.19. Size 1 is a 40 count; size 2, a 34 count; size 3, 28 count; size 4, 24 count, and size 5, a 22 count. Pampers regular also come in a 40-count for newborns, with a "cut-out notch" in the diaper. During SN's visit, the price was $9.49.

A shelf sign was used to promote Luvs Ultrathin diapers, which were on sale for $4.49 with Kings Signature Club card. The regular price was $5.99. Also in five sizes, with similar weight ranges as Pampers, Luvs diaper counts are 40, 34, 28, 24 and 22, with the smallest size having the largest count. A few jumbo packs were also available on the shelf, in sizes 3 and 4, with 56 and 48 counts, at $11.99.

The store carries Huggies' regular and premium. Like Pampers and Luvs, Huggies Supreme are unisex diapers, but the regular Huggies come in gender-specific varieties.

Four sizes of Huggies Supreme in smaller packs were on the shelves: Size 2 (12 to 18 pounds), 28 count; size 3 (16 to 28 pounds), 22 count; size 4 (22 to 37 pounds), 20 count; and size 5 (more than 30 pounds), 18 count. All sold for $7.19 during SN's visit.

Huggies unisex diapers for newborns are packaged differently from both Supreme and regular. They come in a 28 count, and also sold for $7.19.

Gender-specific varieties of regular Huggies, in smaller blue and pink packs, are offered in five sizes. On the shelf were size 1 (8 to 14 pounds), 44 count for girls and 40 count for boys; size 3 (16 to 28 pounds), 28 count; size 4, girls (22 to 37 pounds), 24 count; and size 5 (30 pounds and more), 22 count. The gender-specific Huggies in smaller packs also sold for $7.19.

Top Care, a private-label diaper, comes in two regular varieties and a Supreme and Select package. Each is offered in smaller count packages (for example, 36 count for size 2). Like Huggies, the Supreme, Select and one of the regular varieties are unisex, while the other regular diapers are gender-specific.

Top Care diapers ranged in price from $5.49 to $5.99.

A natural line of diapers, Tushies, comes in larger packs with smaller counts. Attractive packaging pictures a storybook woodland scene. "The only disposable diaper with natural blend cotton for natural absorbency," the copy reads. Toddler sizes (27 pounds and up), have a 20 count; medium sizes (12 to 24 pounds), a 30 count; and large sizes (22 to 25 pounds), 22 count. All varieties of Tushies sold for $9.99.

Training pants from Pampers and Huggies are also available at Kings. Pampers Trainers came in 1, 2 (23 to 34 pounds) and 3 (32 to 49 pounds) sizes, with a 15 and 13 count, respectively. They sold for $7.19.

Huggies Pull-Ups were all $7.29. The girls' version sports Minnie Mouse designs, while boys' pants are decorated with Mickey Mouse. On the shelf are large sizes (girls, 32 pounds or more; boys, 34 pounds or more) and medium sizes (girls, 25 to 34 pounds, and boys, 29 to 36 pounds). Large sizes are 15 count, while mediums are 17 count. Huggies'

Good Nites come in medium and large sizes and were priced at $7.29. Only the large pants, a 9-count size for children over 65 pounds, were offered.

The Summit, N.J., Kings store has 9 feet of diapers, merchandised next to formula. The section also has food and baby care items.

Pampers premium, in jumbo sizes; Pampers regular, in jumbo and smaller sizes; Huggies regular and Huggies Supreme; and Top Care were all on the shelf, but more sizes were out of stock.

The same varieties of training pants were also available. Good Nites were stocked in both sizes; the medium size (45 to 65 pounds) had an 11 count.

The Chatham, N.J., store devotes about 15 feet of space to diapers. About 10 linear feet are given to wipes. Formula takes up about 12 linear feet, while baby food is in a 9-foot section. Baby care items are in a 4-foot section.

During SN's visit, the Chatham store had a cardboard floor display next to the diapers, with Purell hand sanitizer merchandised prominently. The product is said to sanitize hands and kill germs without soap, water or towels.

This store has the same varieties of diapers and training pants as the Short Hills unit. However, there were sizes missing on the national brands, while the Top Care label diapers were available in more sizes.

While the Florham store devotes less space to baby needs overall, with 9 feet of diapers and 4 linear feet of formula and wipes, it does the best job merchandising pegged items. Pegged items are displayed across the top of the entire section.

These items include bottles, liners, brushes, cups, pacifiers, bibs, teethers, comb/brush sets, scissors, nail clippers, and cotton rounds and squares.

Unlike the other stores, which stock premium diapers on the top shelf, the Florham store merchandises the training pants on the top shelf. Jumbo sizes are on the next shelf, with additional sizes underneath.

The Florham store does not carry any private-label diapers. On the shelf were Pampers premium and regular; Huggies regular and Supreme; and Depends undergarments, in two sizes, with 30 and 36 counts, priced at $17.99.

The Morristown unit offers 16 feet of diapers, along with 12 feet of baby food, 4 feet of formula and pegged items merchandised above the food and formula. The section also has wipes.

The Morristown store has the same variety of national-brand and private-label diapers and training pants as the Short Hills unit. However, all the sizes in the smaller packages of Pampers, Luvs and Huggies are in stock.

Most of the Pampers jumbo sizes were in stock during SN's visit, as well as a few sizes of Luvs jumbos. In addition, many sizes of the private-label Top Care were available, along with two sizes of Tushies.

According to O'Connor of Cannondale, supermarkets tend to promote diapers once a month, rotating brands. Jumbo packs are more readily promoted, accounting for close to half of feature items, he said.

David Olson, vice president of marketing for Drypers, Houston, noted that while some large chains -- like Albertson's, Kroger Co. and Publix Super Markets -- are creating large baby care centers, it's important for all retailers to establish the presence of diapers and other essential baby care items in their stores. New mothers are forming new habits and preferences during this time, he said, and retailers need to target them by establishing baby care as an important category.