Amazon Dumps Own-Label Diapers After Two Months

Online retailing giant Amazon pulled its private-label Elements premium diapers from its virtual shelves Wednesday, telling shoppers it wants to make design improvements.

Amazon took on the giants of the diaper industry who also sell via its website in early December with a competitively priced product pitched at environmentally conscious members of its Prime subscription club and Amazon Moms group.

But the company removed the diapers from its offers on Wednesday, telling buyers in emails that "based on early customer feedback, we are making some design improvements to the diaper."

User reviews on Amazon's own website ranked the product below other popular diaper brands, with infants' parents saying they did not seem as sturdy as others.

E-commerce pricing analysts Profitero said the Elements diapers averaged 3.4 stars on Amazon's five-star review system, "nearly a full point below the top diaper brands."

"The marketing/positioning for Amazon Elements far overreached the product quality as underlined by our own analysis and Amazon is smart to course-correct quickly for the long-term viability of future private-label products," said Profitero vice president Keith Anderson.

Amazon has been seeking to push shoppers into Prime, originally a subscription service for free shipping aimed at frequent buyers on its website.

A Prime subscription now gives members unlimited video and music streaming as Amazon takes on powerful media groups like Netflix and Spotify.

In some areas, Prime is now offering same-day delivery on groceries as well.