How Target plans to own the baby category as it rolls out new in-store displays

Removing crib displays meant the company could dedicate that floor space to faster-moving items and larger displays, and add more strollers at ground level that customers were more eager to see in person.

“We moved these lower-turning, lower-purchased categories and put in categories that were faster-turning, faster in innovation, and really emotional across apparel, toys and other aspects,” Nusz said in an exclusive interview with Modern Retail.

In late March, Target rolled out “Baby Boutiques” in 200 stores across 37 states. These sections boast more interactive displays, like strollers that can be picked up and rolled across different terrain. Those stores will also have a larger assortment of higher-priced gear like car seats from premium brands like Uppababy, Bugaboo, Stokke and Doona. Customers will also have the option to schedule a 30-minute free in-person product consultation with a Baby Concierge from Tot Squad, a family services marketplace that has already worked with Target through its registry business.

Across its whole fleet, Target is adding more than 2,000 items, including from buzzy companies like carrier brand Wildbird and personal care brand Tubby Todd, plus an expansion of goods from baby and toddler product brand Lalo. The focus is on well-designed products, plus a variety of price points and better-for-you ingredients.

The updates coincide with Target’s turnaround plan under new CEO Michael Fiddelke, which includes a bid to reclaim its merchandising authority. The company is also putting a bigger focus on “busy families,” and ensuring they can find what they need whenever they need it. But baby is specifically a category that’s ripe for share capture, as the U.S. lacks a dedicated baby-and-child retailer. Cara Sylvester, Target’s evp and chief merchandising officer, said during the latest earnings call that the company would make deliberate investments in elevating the baby shopping experience. “This is a category that’s gone untouched for years, and there is so much potential in front of us,” Sylvester said, according to a transcript.

Nusz told Modern Retail that Target designed the section with an eye toward shoppers at a life stage when they naturally change their buying habits. The strategy centers on offering a more elevated experience to draw in shoppers for a big moment — like picking out their first stroller — and keep them coming back for everyday essentials.

“Having a baby is one of the few life stages where people rethink everything, including where they shop, because they are looking to simplify and kind of make their life easier,” Nusz said. “And so we know that that moment is really important, not just because of the diapers and the gear and the food, but because of everything they need for a growing family.”

Building up a premium, trending assortment

In expanding the assortment, Nusz said the team conducted additional discovery work to determine which up-and-coming brands were most in demand. That included “great style and design” across price points, more clean and better-for-you ingredients, and more premium-priced baby gear.

New parents today are doing more research than ever on products, Nusz said, and the bigger assortment is meant to help increase customer loyalty and keep up with trends. “I think you are seeing a faster evolution from even DTC to retail than there ever has been. In this category, you have to move fast because the guest keeps changing, and they’re always right.”

Target specifically increased its focus on health and wellness, she said. “We made a major investment in what we call wellness and health,” she said. “We’ve always been a leader in terms of curating items that really are thought through in terms of sustainability, organic, natural ingredients, but we leaned into that now in a bigger, bolder way.”

David Johnson, founder and CEO of dye-free medicine company Genexa, said the company is now selling a bigger assortment of its products right in the baby aisle versus the pharmacy section in the front of the store. It also launched an exclusive-to-Target “Baby’s First Sick Day” bundle that includes multiple fever and cough-support products in a zipper bag.

“Genexa is growing significantly within total pediatric, but really, when it comes to pediatric infant, we’re seeing a real buy-in from moms, dads, grandmas or whoever is buying the products because of the value proposition,” Johnson said. “Parents are increasingly looking for cleaner products across categories.”

Playhouse MD, a company that makes kid-friendly health-care products like narwhal-shaped snot suckers and rocket ship medicine droppers, piloted at select Target stores in September and is now sold across the fleet. But going into Target meant making some changes. Co-founder Sydney Wiseman said the company lowered its elephant-shaped nasal aspirator from $19.99 to $14.99 to better match competitors on shelf. The company was able to pull off the decrease by anticipating that it would move more units going into more stores.

Company-wide, Wiseman said sales are up between 3x and 4x since the Target reset. She creates part of the growth to buzz generated by Target-specific influencers on social media. Playhouse has also rolled out its own marketing push, including in-store filming, connected TV ads and Target retail media buys.

“That halo effect for us has been really amazing, and we’re seeing it across the whole business,” she said.

Reviving the in-store baby experience for a new generation

Jen Saxton, founder and CEO at Tot Squad has been looking to launch an in-store registry and shopping assistance for over two years since the country lost around 115 Buy Buy Baby locations after the Bed, Bath & Beyond bankruptcy. A previous generation’s go-to baby retailer, Babies R Us, shut down in 2018.

“For several generations, moms had this milestone moment in their pregnancy to book their registry appointment at Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby, and that doesn’t really exist anymore,” she said.

Tot Squad is a virtual services marketplace that connects parents to providers in their region around sleep, lactation, feeding, car seat safety and more. Since 2020, expecting parents can connect Tot Squad to their Target baby registry. It also offers a “Motherfund” option to receive contributions to put toward future services, similar to how Honeyfund works on wedding registries.

It piloted the Baby Concierge service in 2025, which is open not just to expectant parents, but also to those who already have kids or caretakers who want to learn more about products, Saxton said. At a recent launch event in Boston, she said she talked to moms who wanted to try out a stroller in person before buying it. “These new premium store designs with assortment and services inside the store will be able to drive the traffic for them,” she said.

Courtney Hawkins,  a former omnichannel executive for brands like Mejuri and The Real Real who recently launched a consultancy called CH Retail Group, said it’s exciting to see Target take on the white space, similar to how Michaels has changed up its stores after the closures of JoAnn and Party City.

“The assortment curation sounds really strong, from specialty items to gifting to the necessary replenishment items. It’s hitting on all of that,” she said.

But the real test for Target will be how much it can turn the baby set into a true destination for shoppers. When Hawkins was a new mom, she frequently took her daughter to a nearby Buy Buy Baby that had a dedicated quiet room with dim lighting, rocking chairs and changing supplies. The family-friendly atmosphere gave her an outing, and she almost always left with a new onesie or other gear.

“You felt like you could ease into that experience,” she said. “At Target, the curation of the product is going to be amazing. To me, that’s only a portion. Helping with the registry is important, but so is the time spent, feeling comfortable shopping with your baby.”