Over the past eight years, Modibodi has helped over half a million people contain period and bladder leaks with its innovative underwear products. Now, the online retailer is bringing its considerable expertise in moisture-wicking and odour-fighting fabrics to a new product category: reusable nappies. The Sydney-based business launched its inaugural baby range last month, including reusable nappies, reusable nappy boosters, biodegradable bamboo nappy liners and a reusable nappy bag.
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“A big goal of mine is to switch people from disposable [products] for good,” Kristy Chong, Modibodi’s founder and CEO, told Inside Retail.
With an estimated 800 million disposable nappies ending up in Australian landfills each year, the baby category is the “right next step” for the business, according to Chong.
Convenience, absorbency are key
The overall nappy market was estimated to be worth US$69.5 billion globally in 2020, according to Research and Markets, but cloth nappies represent a fraction of that at US$10.6 billion, according to Fact.MR.
Despite nappy sales being relatively well insulated from the effects of Covid-19, the cloth nappy market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of just 2.1 per cent from 2021-2031, according to Fact.MR, largely due to the perception that reusable nappies are less convenient and absorbent than disposable ones.
“I’m a mum of four and have used a range of disposable and reusable nappies over the years, but I’ve never found one that was simple to use and I kept finding that they weren’t as absorbent and didn’t have all the qualities that I felt a reusable nappy should have,” Chong said.
Modibodi spent over a year developing and testing its reusable nappy design in scientific labs and with friends and family to ensure the end result lived up to consumer expectations.
The final product can hold over a litre of liquid, which makes it more absorbent than any other reusable nappy on the market, and features a patent-pending moisture-wicking lining that speeds up drying time to reduce the chance of nappy rash.
“You’ll also notice that all of our nappies are lined with black to help with stain resistance,” Chong said.
While Modibodi has designed its nappies to be as easy to clean as possible, the brand also offers biodegradable bamboo liners that can be thrown in the bin.
“That’s something we recommend for those who feel that going reusable can be a harder jump,” she said.
Need for more realistic images
Modibodi is partnering with key mum influencers to help get the message out about its new baby range and reach those who may not have considered using reusable nappies before.
“We’re asking everyone to try it and give us their feedback. We’re not afraid of that,” Chong said.
The online retailer is also working on a campaign with Getty Images to better reflect the reality of the postpartum experience in stock images.
“We’re getting photographers across the world to take photos that actually demonstrate the real experience of having babies, because [the] stock images [that] currently exist [are] not representative of the full spectrum of having children,” she said.
Modibodi’s move into the reusable nappy category comes off the back of rapid growth in the 2020 calendar year, thanks to the rise of online shopping and strong demand for sustainable products during Covid.
“We grew at over 100 per cent in 2020, and we’re projecting to be close to 100 per cent again this year,” Chong said.
‘Overlooked for a long time’
Alongside the baby range, Modibodi has also revamped its maternity range, which includes a breastfeeding bra and cami designed to absorb breast milk leaks, and special underwear to contain postpartum bleeding and bladder leaks.
It wasn’t too long ago that femtech products for menstruation, pregnancy and women’s sexual wellness were considered taboo, with only a few choices available in mainstream retail and little focus on style or sustainability.
“General women’s health has been overlooked for a very long time because a lot of product development has been done by men, or a lot of companies have been led by men,” Chong said.
But that is changing as more female founders create the products they wish they had access to. Milkdrop, a breast pump startup created by Alexandra Sinickas earlier this year, is just the latest example.
“The more that we have females who’ve been through that personal experience, championing new innovation, the more we’ll see change,” Chong said.