March 7, 2022 – NPD Group – The U.S. Juvenile Products industry grew by 13% in 2021, according to The NPD Group. Unit sales also increased on the year, up 8% compared to 2020. All but one of the eight categories tracked by NPD saw sales growth in 2021, with six categories growing by double digits. The best performing category was travel, which grew by 20%, followed by feeding and bed & bath, which grew by 17% and 13% respectively.

“Consumers this past year returned to spending on items such as strollers and car seats that dropped off at the beginning of the pandemic while also retaining high levels of spending on feeding, entertainment, and furniture products,” said Elizabeth Lafontaine, Juvenile Products Industry Analyst at The NPD Group. “The industry benefitted greatly from the additional injections of stimulus in the first quarter and the child tax credit program that began in July, both of which spurred incremental demand for our products.”

From a subcategory perspective, the largest contributors to dollar growth included car seats (+18%), strollers (+25%), and breastfeeding systems (+41%). Growth in these categories was bolstered by changing consumer sentiment and a return to normalcy as vaccines rolled out in spring 2021 and many parents returned to travel, work, and other out of home activities. These product subcategories also benefitted from new innovations in the market and changing consumer dynamics.

Read more at NPD Group.