Carter’s unveils brand refresh as it courts more Gen Z and millennial parents

Founded in 1865, Carter’s has gone through a series of ups and downs in its 161-year history. In October of last year, the company announced it would be closing 150 stores and cutting 300 jobs over the next three years, partially due to the financial impact of tariffs. But, for three consecutive quarters, its net sales have grown. Net sales grew 5%, to $615 million, during the second quarter of 2026.

In June, the company welcomed a new CEO: Sharon Price John, formerly the CEO of Build-A-Bear. During her first quarterly earnings call in July, John began hinting at her vision for the company’s future. “Carter’s is a well-established, diversified company with a solid foundation for expansion,” John said during the earnings call. “And in my view, we have significant opportunities that can contribute to generating consistent, profitable growth.

Attracting more Gen Z customers is a particular focus. Price John said during the earnings call that, “We continue to add new consumers, including the important Gen Z demographics, which grew mid-teens in the [second fiscal] quarter.”

Sarah Crockett, chief marketing officer of Carter’s, said that the goal with the rebrand was to “honor the brands that have earned the trust of our families for 161 years, while incorporating updated elements that really speak directly to the Gen Z, young, millennial audiences and the values that they care about.” 

In particular, Carter’s research found that self-expression and letting kids wear what they want was a key theme younger parents really valued, Crockett said.

“It was a very obvious theme in a lot of the consumer research that we had an opportunity to ultimately contribute to a childhood that is shaped more by encouragement than comparison,” Crockett said. 

As part of the rebrand, Carter’s is rolling out a new commercial, called “Watch Them Glow,” which Crockett positioned as a way for Carter’s to reintroduce itself to new audiences — to remind them of the history of Carter’s and to introduce this new brand promise. “For generations, Carter’s has had the honor of making clothes that let children shine,” a narrator proclaims over a series of videos showing parents and their babies over the years. The ad is rolling out across streaming video networks starting on Tuesday. 

Marisa Ortega, retail and e-commerce analyst with Mintel, said in an interview with Modern Retail that the firm’s research does indeed show that parents — especially younger ones — do seem to be focused on self-expression and letting kids wear clothes that help them express themselves. “When we see the interest in more inclusive clothing options, like gender neutral, I think that also speaks to self-expression,” Ortega said. 

In an April 2025 study, Mintel asked roughly 2,000 U.S. internet users what the most important factors were for them when buying clothing for children under age 12. Forty-two percent of respondents said comfort, 36% said price, 29% said durability, and 28% said style, or self-expression. 

For a market leader like Carter’s, rolling out a rebrand and new brand identity involves many steps. A brand refresh means rolling out a new logo, but it also means updating logos and taglines in every place where a customer may encounter the Carter’s brand: on social media, in product packaging, in Carter’s own stores and across retail partners.

Carter’s logos through the years

One area that’s getting a refresh, for example, is the sleepwear section in Carter’s stores. Carter’s is now branding these areas as “stellar sleep shops” to tie back to the “Watch Them Glow” commercial. “We are sort of famous for our [sleepwear],” Crockett said. 

As such, while the new brand identity is rolling out across Carter’s own channels now, it will take until 2027 to roll out additional product, retail and packaging elements. 

The brand refresh also encompasses new and expanded partnerships with some non-profits. Carter’s is partnering with Outward Bound to share expertise and advice in an outdoor space, another area that Crockett said is increasingly important to young parents as they look to get their kids invested in activities that don’t involve screens. “We’re working with them on a curriculum, essentially, that we’ll be pulling together … on ways to spend more time in the outdoors.”

Finally, Carter’s will also introduce a creator program called Light Makers. While the company has invested in influencer marketing before, this is the first time the company has rolled out a dedicated creator program, Crockett said. 

“It’s incredibly important for a body of work like this because a creator program is a way for us to get in closer with our communities and allow their voices to tell the story,” Crockett said. Carter’s will select the first batch of influencers to join the program, with a focus on “people who have dedicated their platform to making childhood brighter, and who, through everyday moments, inspire others to create meaningful experiences of their own,” according to a spokesperson. As the program grows, creators will be able to invite other influencers to join Light Makers. There’s also a grant component — Carter’s will award $2,000 grants (up to 15 grants in the first year) to Light Makers. Carter’s expects to introduce the first grant sometime this holiday season.

Crockett, who joined Carter’s in June of last year, said the brand refresh and the accompanying consumer research have been a big focus since she took over as CMO. She said the brand refresh now puts Carter’s in a good position to introduce itself to new customers in new channels. 

“This body of work has really helped us improve our understanding of the consumer and our understanding of the space that we uniquely can hold as the market leader,” Crockett said.