Beyond BuyBuy Baby: How Amazon Sellers Can ‘Fill the Void’

Bed Bath & Beyond’s bankruptcy could spell new opportunities for rivals hoping to fill the void left behind by its popular BuyBuy Baby brand.

The bankrupt home goods company is shutting down all of its stores, including 100 under the BuyBuy Baby banner. Dream on Me Industries Inc. paid $15.5 million to acquire the baby retailer’s intellectual property assets but hasn’t announced its plans for BuyBuy Baby‘s future.

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The shakeup has led to a shift in the baby products space, according to a new Amazon seller report from market analytics firm Jungle Scout Cobalt showing that shoppers are on the hunt for alternatives to BuyBuy Baby.

Jungle Scout Cobalt reported that “BuyBuy Baby Closing” generated 106 million views on TikTok based on data from June 20. The baby retailer has 579,000 Instagram followers, and 23,900 on TikTok.

National Center for Health Statistics data reveals that baby shower product sales rise during the spring and summer, as most births occur between July and October. As of June, “baby shower products” had 9.6 billion views on TikTok, and 240 million users viewed content related to “baby shower Amazon finds.” Newborn clothing, car seats, strollers, nursery décor, diapers, baby bottles, baby tubs, teethers, and toys were among the most-searched baby shower items on the Amazon marketplace between Jan. 1-June 19.

Versus 2022, searches for baby clothes grew 19 percent year over year for girls, and 5 percent for boys. Baby clothing organizers saw 15 percent greater search volume over last year, and unisex apparel was searched 15 percent more between Jan. 1-May 4 than the same period a year prior.

Sleep sacks proved to be the hottest baby apparel products this spring. The top five revenue grossing items were the Burt’s Bees Baby unisex wearable blanket, the Halo Sleepsack swaddle blanket, the Kyte Baby sleeping bag, the Hudson Baby muslin cotton wearable sleeping bag, and the Days U soft baby sleepsack. Burt’s Bees Baby was the market share leader across all baby apparel brands, capturing 57 percent of sales on Amazon, followed by Halo (16 percent), Kyte (11 percent), Hudson Baby (6 percent) and Woolino (5 percent).

“By offering an extensive brand selection, competitive pricing, and seamless online shopping experience, Amazon can fill the void left by BuyBuy Baby’s absence and become a dominant player in the baby clothing market, effectively stealing market share from traditional brick-and mortar retailers,” Jessie Swapp, founder of Whimsy Baby Company, said in the Jungle Scout Cobalt report. “If you own a brand that offers baby clothing and you’re not on Amazon, now is the time to do it.”

Swapp said the closure of BuyBuy Baby stands to have a significant impact on the baby products sector—namely, it will free up market share for other brands and retailers. “This retail giant played a significant role in baby shower registries and baby gift-giving, and their absence would reshape how consumers shop for baby products,” she said. “This could further solidify Amazon’s dominance in the baby category as its extensive range of baby products and trusted brand presence grows.”

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