H-E-B PROMOTES NEW BABY LINE

LUCIA MOSES

SAN ANTONIO - H.E. Butt Grocery Co. used a health fair recently to showcase its new baby products line, H-E-B Baby, and other store-brand items.

The Healthy Baby and Child Expo here was the biggest demonstration to date of H-E-B's 1 -year-old partnership with Baptist Health System, a south Texas hospital. It was designed to underscore the retailer's stated mission of supporting healthy families.

"Our primary reason for partnering with Baptist Health System was to promote healthy living in general," said H-E-B spokeswoman Dya Campos. In addition, she said, "We wanted to let people know we're branching out into different product lines."

Launched last year, H-E-B Baby consists of diapers, wipes, food and formula, water, electrolytes, juice and personal care items.

At the two-day event, H-E-B associates showed attendees how to make healthful and affordable meals, and handed out samples from H-E-B's Central Market organics line and its new fully cooked frozen meat line, Fully Fit.

Also featured were product samples from Huggies, Colgate and other national-brand manufacturers; health information relevant to new parents; and a diaper derby baby race. The event drew expectant mothers and parents with children.

The baby aisle has been an area of strong activity for private label lately as retailers seek to woo young parents and their big shopping baskets.

Store brands had a 0.9% share of the baby food category in 2005, up 37.1%, with 12.7 million units sold. In disposable diapers, they commanded a 22.9% share, up 6.1%, with 45.6 million units sold. Figures refer to sales in food, drug and mass merchant retailers, as compiled by ACNielsen.