Generations X, Y, & Z

First-time parents continue to be a growth opportunity for businesses as we experience a baby boom in America.

Gen X parents, ages 26 to 44, waited until later in life to have children and are now producing twins and triplets thanks to fertility treatments and the fact that multiples are more common in older women.

The oldest Gen Ys were making decisions about parenthood at an early age. Surveys conducted a few years ago revealed that Gen Ys would be even more family-focused than the Xers, which were dubbed the Family First generation by USA Today. Ys expressed an interest in co-parenting and co-working, splitting the child-rearing and paycheck-earning tasks equally among moms and dads.

The Y’s passion for parenting, combined with being the largest generation to ever walk this Earth, makes them a hot target for family-focused businesses.

Furthermore, the nation's Latino population grew 62% from births in 2007. That’s 868,000 new U.S. Latino babies! Indeed, the Pew Hispanic Center reports that the fertility rate of Latinas is one-third higher than that of non-Latinas.

Anyway you look at it, today’s baby boom spells opportunity for brands to make and maintain a family-centered connection and nurture a new generation of consumers (Generation Z). Here are just a few of the new baby businesses out there:

• At-Home UltraSound parties
  Young families are throwing baby showers that feature live ultrasound images of baby, in utero. At least three local businesses have popped up in Tampa, Florida offering at-home, non-diagnostic ultrasounds along with a full menu of additional services. Ultra Babies offers DVD photo discs set to music, belly casts, massage and henna tattoos. Look Who's Kickin' and Storksview offer their own facilities with humongous flat-screens in private viewing rooms and Internet accessibility, allowing faraway friends and family to join the party and enjoy the view.

• Momsclusive Clubs
  New moms can experience me-time with a membership at two recently opened momsclusive clubs in London. Cupcake Spa and Members Club offers seminars, fitness training (with and without baby) and a café, and a kids-free floor houses the spa where moms and moms-to-be enjoy specialized treatments catered to their pregnancy stage. At Maggie & Rose, members can host fabulous parties with organic kids’ foods, take cooking classes, enjoy a movie night with other families, or power up in the WiFi café. Both clubs offer childcare.

• Sleep Training Nannies
  While sleep training is more popular in the UK, its slowly making its way to the U.S. Hush-a-bye Baby based in Chicago offers night-nannies and sleep-trainers to give tired parents a much-needed rest.
  

• Baby Fashion
  From vintage punk t-shirts to onesies with phrases like ‘Got Milk?’, trendy baby fashions are all the rage. Check out the What’s Hot for Tots blog and designer brands at Tutti Bella or the latest in Generation Green organic baby clothing at Obli Organics.
  

Labels: baby fashion, first-time parents, Generation X, Generation Y, Generation Z, momclusive clubs, parenthood, sleep training nannies

# posted by Sarah Sladek, Limelight Generations @ 4:33 PM