- An Unlikely Pair, The Two Mom-Founded and Led Brands Are Neutralizing the Feeding Wars by Meeting Parents in Their Reality and Supporting All Feeding Journeys
- 70% of Formula-Feeding Parents in the US Are Combo Feeding their babies – and for the first time, the retail feeding shopping experience is catching up
Bobbie, the organic infant formula company, and Elvie, the breast pump company, have joined forces to reinvent the infant feeding aisle in Target stores across the United States.
This unlikely collaboration between the mom-founded and led brands is rooted in a desire to neutralize the feeding wars and provide modern parents with a new retail experience that brings–for the first time ever–infant formula and breastfeeding support into the same endcap. 80% of parents will feed their baby with formula during their first year and 70% of these formula-feeding parents are combo feeding – meaning, using some combination of breast milk and formula – but no one’s talking about it and the outdated retail experience suggests that it’s either/or.
Bobbie and Elvie will be the first formula and breast pump company to collaborate, proudly supporting all feeding journeys with a one-stop shop combo-feeding endcap and digital storefront. Leaning on education and a curated experience, the retail destination is designed to serve modern parents in a way that is authentic to their real feeding journeys.
These two products – formula and breast pumps – work hand in hand for many new parents; 84% of new parents in a recent survey said that combo feeding allowed them to extend their breastfeeding journey. And yet, the conversation around feeding, especially formula feeding, is permeated with guilt and shame. Bobbie represents the new generation of parents, building a movement to recognize that feeding your baby is not one-size-fits-all. The reality is that combo feeding is the new norm, but the term is missing from the zeitgeist of becoming a parent. 73% of new parents in a recent survey did not know how to combo feed before having a baby. Normalizing the prevalence and language around combo-feeding unlocks more options for parents and less judgment around feeding. In order to meaningfully shift feeding culture–the core of Bobbie’s mission from day one–the retail experience must evolve.
Independently, Bobbie and Elvie are two companies that have been revolutionizing the way parents feed their babies for years. Bobbie offers a first-of-its-kind, organic, EU-inspired formula, while Elvie provides a hands-free, cordless breast pump that allows mothers to pump discreetly and conveniently on-the-go. Stronger together, these two mom-founded and led brands are changing feeding culture and parenting culture while forging new ground – putting an end to the traditional and divisive “formula aisle” versus “breastfeeding support aisle” and combining the two to lift the emotional load that customers feel and ensure the shopping experience reflects the lived experience of most parents in the US.
“You can’t change the formula industry without changing the formula aisle. I know this to my core – it was in the formula aisle where I first had the idea for Bobbie – as an overwhelmed, confused new mother. So it’s a beautiful, full circle moment to be partnering with Elvie to create the feeding aisle of the future; the one I wished I had been standing in when I found myself struggling to exclusively breastfeed just five days after my daughter was born,” said Laura Modi, CEO and Co-Founder of Bobbie, and mom of three.
“With this first of its kind collaboration, we’ve created a ‘feeding’ destination at Target, and that in itself is revolutionary. This is changing the game for modern parents because it’s representative of the way they’re actually feeding and filling a major gap when it comes to meeting parents in the reality of their fourth trimester,” said Sara Ahmed Holman, VP of Strategic Growth & Innovation, and mom of two.
The multibrand endcap will feature Bobbie, Elvie, and Dr. Brown’s products displayed together in Target stores, providing parents with a first-of-its-kind, educational, and judgment free feeding display that supports all feeding journeys, rather than sending breastfeeding parents down one aisle, and formula-feeding parents down another. Elaine Welteroth, journalist, mother, activist, Bobbie investor, and inaugural Bobbie MotherBoard member, is also featured on the endcap as a parent who authentically combo-fed her baby and used all three products as a part of her feeding journey. The innovative retail experience is designed to help parents navigate the overwhelming, confusing, and guilt-ridden world of infant feeding, not only empowering them to make informed decisions about what is best for their family, but to support them in their choice, no matter what it looks like.
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Bobbie to revolutionize the feeding aisle as we know it. The majority of modern parents today are combo feeding and finally that’s being reflected in the retail experience. By bringing our mom-founded and led brands together, we’re going where no formula and breast pump companies have gone before – and we’re committed to continuing to shaking the stigma around combo-feeding to empower parents to make the feeding decisions that work best for them – full stop,” said Kerry Holleran Bailey, US General Manager of Elvie and mom of Carley and Jack.
Less than one year after launching on Target shelves, Bobbie was named Target’s Vendor of the Year in the baby category, for its game-changing work disrupting the formula aisle and increasing access for formula-feeding parents during the nationwide shortage. The new endcap display is a continuation of this revolutionary work – one that will continue to support all feeding journeys. For Bobbie, existing on shelves in retailers across the country means increased access for more families – which is still one of the biggest issues in the infant formula industry. Bobbie for Change is committed to up-leveling the food industry and increasing access for more families across the country and this is just the beginning.
The Bobbie and Elvie combo-feeding displays began rolling out in Target stores nationwide in late May, and will run through October, revolutionizing the experience for shopping for the year 1 feeding journey and putting an end to the outdated retail experience that forces parents to choose which aisle to walk down.
