Amazon Is Butting Into the Diaper Business

Amazon is now offering a new perk exclusively to its Prime members: Amazon-label baby wipes and diapers.

The baby products are the first part of a new lineup of consumer goods that the e-commerce giant announced on Dec. 4 called Amazon Elements. Elements, Amazon says, will feature labels that customers can scan on the company’s mobile shopping app to find where and when they were made, and where the ingredients were sourced from, among other information.

“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, Amazon.com consumables vice president in a statement.

Amazon also sells Pampers diapers, produced by Procter and Gamble, and Huggies, a Kimberly Clark product, so the new product line sets the online retailer up as a competitor with its suppliers. Amazon.com acquired Quidsi, Inc., which operates Diapers.com and Soap.com, for $550 million in 2010.

Elements products are made by third-party manufacturers, Amazon said, with the diapers manufactured in Canada and baby wipes in Indiana.

An Amazon spokesperson said there’s demand among Prime customers for products including diapers, as well as information about where products are sourced.

Elements is the latest feature offered to Amazon Prime members, a $99-per-year subscription for customers that includes discounts on shipping, as well as free music, video and book downloads.