Who are the new leaders of hip? You got it, baby. Parents are dressing babies in miniaturized chic brands like DKNY, Eddie Bauer and Tommy Hilfiger, and also letting the little ones indulge in upscale luxuries such as beauty products and organic baby food. And don't assume that cashmere sweater from BabyGap is out of the question because parents can't afford it--30 percent of apparel purchases for infants are gifts, and grandparents (that is, adults age 55-plus) account for $2.2 billion of the $17 billion infant market. Also be on the lookout for toddler products: Rather than continuing to treat this niche as an extension of infants or preschoolers, today's marketers are developing products specifically for toddlers, such as bridge foods.
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This article was originally published in the December 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Hot Stuff.
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