Pampers Swaddlers size 8 in Canada

[Little Sherri]

I stumbled upon Pampers Swaddlers Size 8 in a supermarket this week, and did a doubletake - we don't get a lot of size 8 diapers up here in Canada. I've never seen them on a shelf before, despite reading of their mythical existence in these pages. SO, stupidly, impulsively, I bought them, of course. There was no logical reason for doing this - when it comes to Pampers, I'm like a comic book collector, or someone who just has to try every version of Coca Cola - sure, Orange Chocolate Coke Zero sounds like a terrible idea, but, you have to know, right?  

So it goes with anything Pampers, because I was raised in them. Even though I have absolutely zero real use for a diaper rated to 46+ lbs. My youngest weighs more than twice that, and I'm beyond 4X that weight. They'd theoretically fit a 7 - 9-year-old, so I understand their rarity on the market here - they dramatically overlap the EasyUps and Pull-Ups and Goodnights that offer a "do-it-yourself" option to anyone over 2, basically. My thought, when my kids were young, used to be, "Oh, but real diapers are superior, and they cost less, so they're better than pull-ups." Well, these diapers are likely still better, in terms of performance, than an equivalent pull-up, but in terms of cost, not so much: these things set me back nearly a buck a diaper. They cost 50% more than a size 5 or 6 - the 7's and 8's are markedly more expensive, I guess because they realize that they are cannibalizing their own s/m and 4-5T pull-up sales by offering a tabbed diaper option for school-aged children, and, presumably, seriously obese toddlers. 

The packaging features a kid who looks about 5, but says "For Active Babies" - so hopefully that kid can't read yet. 

What vexed me, though - and I'm not mad at Pampers, only mad at myself, they're just doing their jobs - is that I fell hook, line and sinker for marketing puffery, a crime I'd also accused Rearz of, when they "Mega'ed" some of their brands, before I actually tried them, and realized that they had definitely added some SAP. 

I opened these new Pampers, enjoyed the scent-induced trip down memory lane, and then got scientific about comparing them to the size 7 Baby Dry diapers I already have in inventory, rated to 41 lbs+. So, these 46 lbs+ size 8's would be at least a bit larger, right?

No. 

The same size. Exactly. 

But, the weight would tell the tale, right? 

Er, no. I weighed a few of the 7's and 8's to account for manufacturing tolerances. The 8's weight less on average. The difference was less than a gram, but, still. 

Now, maybe they're putting more SAP and less stuffing in there, or something like that, but when you hold the two products in your hand, they feel identical. I only know a couple of humans that these could fit on, and who can also express themselves articulately, but I don't know that either of them would be interested in participating in my market research on comparing and contrasting oversized baby diapers. So, I'm stuck with $1 stuffers, it would seem, although I rarely use stuffers - most of the products I wear give me as much range as I can reasonably use, before I have to change them for social or skin integrity reasons, anyway. Maybe I'll hang on to a few of these, and donate the rest somewhere. 

I'm offering this as a PSA - if you're in Canada, and you come across a box of size 8 Pampers, be aware that they are not any larger than size 7's, and save your money. Unless you just have to have them, which I entirely understand. 

[ppdude]

I think someone famous said "there's a sucker born every minute". And boy are we suckers (more ways than not).

 

[Little Sherri]

One further development: a friend of mine who works in supply chain for one of the big grocery stores chains up here in Canada said that the sales of size 8 diapers have surprised them since they were launched - a lot of stores had decided not to stock them, thinking they were a specialized product that people could get at drug stores, but the ones that did saw them sell briskly.

[Brown Owl]

I can tell you about the market segment that's probably the target here.. They're going after the disability youth market i think. For whom self service options don't work for various reasons. There more expensive because this type of consumer typically can buy with Medicaid discounts in the USA, it's not just to avoid cannibalizing their own market. I don't think that's much of a concern because honestly who wants to change the diaper of a 7-9 year old if you don't have too...