Amazon is launching Amazon Elements, a line of affordable and ethically sourced products aimed at Prime subscribers. The first product in the new line? Diapers, of course.
Elements will begin selling the diapers and wipes in competition with the likes of Honest, a company started by Jessica Alba that sells environmentally friendly goods.
"Amazon prides itself on being the Earth's most customer-centric company. Customers were the inspiration for Amazon Elements, our own line of everyday essentials," says the Amazon Elements website. "We know it's challenging to navigate all the choices and marketing messages you face while shopping for your family. We thought we could do better in three ways: listening to your feedback for what matters most, making products that live up to your high standards, and sharing every detail to inform your decisions."
The new products add to the list of perks for Amazon Prime members. Amazon is essentially working with manufacturers directly, enabling the company to price the products very aggressively. A 40-pack of diapers starts at $7.99, which is around 19 cents per diaper. Most competitors range from 24 cents to 34 cents per diaper.
The Elements website goes into detail about the materials used in the creation of the products and where they come from, which is a level of transparency that an increasing number of consumers are looking for.
Almost a year ago it was reported that Amazon was hiring people to help create a brand of consumable products. Consumable products essentially are products that need to frequently be replaced, such as cleaning products, toothpaste and diapers.
Despite the fact that Prime is a popular brand with families, that Amazon is creating diapers does not necessarily guarantee success. Amazon has released a number of products over the years, but many of them have remained fairly unknown.
Diapers are a category that are replaced extremely frequently, and used by young parents, who are more likely to be price-sensitive and want to shop online for added ease.
The move is rather smart for Amazon. Not only is it nice for parents to be able to buy diapers and wipes from the retailer for cheaper, but it also adds incentive for those who still do not have Amazon Prime accounts.
"The two things customers told us they want are premium products that meet their high standards, and access to information so they can make informed decisions. Amazon Elements offers both," said Sunny Jain, VP of consumables at Amazon, in a statement. "We've leveraged our strengths in technology to bring customers an unprecedented level of information about these products, all with just the click of a button."
