Screen shot
A video posted by pumpspotting founder and CEO Amy VanHaren on social media was recorded outside a Target store.
October 13, 2022
Pumped up partnership: Maine breastfeeding support app teams up with Target
Photo / Tim Greenway
Amy VanHaren, founder and CEO of pumpspotting, was honored on the Mainebiz Next list in 2019.
Pumpspotting, a breastfeeding app for new parents, has teamed up with Target to provide product recommendations and tips for new parents on the retailer's website and mobile app.
Pumpspotting was launched by Amy VanHaren, the company’s Kittery-based CEO, and bills itself as "a non-judgmental place to connect over milk, motherhood, and the day-to-day of feeding," according to the company website.
VanHaren leads a team of six employees and was a Mainebiz Next list honoree in 2019.
Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is a Minneapolis-based nationwide chain, with Maine stores in Augusta, Bangor, Biddeford, South Portland and Topsham.
To help Target shoppers find breast- and bottle- feeding products, pumpspotting and Target have joined forces on Target's website and mobile app. Both platforms include a plug for pumpspotting, with the company’s signature teal color and white logo.
The promoted products include nursing support supplies, formula and baby food, as well as advice from pumpspotting users on what parents should pack for the first time away from their baby, essentials for a fussy baby and ideas for creating a cozy feeding nook.
VanHaren announced the partnership on social media, along with a video message recorded in front of a Target store.
"We've set out to support parents on their feeding journey over the years in important ways and have often dreamed of big creative ideas and big dream partners to work with," she said in a LinkedIn post. "At the top of that list has long been Target, for it is hard to imagine a better partner aligned with supporting and delighting moms."
More than 52,000 parents have used pumpspotting to date, with thousands interacting on the platform every month.
Asked how the partnership came about, VanHaren pointed to community connections.
"We had a pumpspotting parent passionate about our product who worked at Target and she saw value in our working together to support parents," she told Mainebiz. "She connected us with internal team members who continued to see the unique ways for pumpspotting to support their business goals and guests, so we began building a way forward."
Pumpspotting, which gained national attention through a Breast Express bus tour to listen, connect and give mothers a peaceful place to breastfeed, today employs five people full time and one part time. The company has raised $1.8 million to date.
For the Target list, the pumpspotting team enlisted help from its community of parents and lactation consultants, who help identify and select products.
"We drew from our years of insights, surveys and interactions with parents -- both on the app and in person and on our Breast Express tour -- to identify the categories of feeding where support is most needed," VanHaren said.
"From there," she said, "the most loved and supportive products bubbled to the top. Anytime we came across a challenge with availability, we simply looped back to the community. There is no shortage of amazing support products out there."
VanHaren said pumpspotting will monitor visitor engagement and impact on Target platforms.
"We have lots of ideas for how to expand and are excited about the market opportunity in retail space broadly," she said. "Right now is a great moment for retailers to consider creative ways to attract, retain and delight parents and we've got a big vision for how to lead the way."
VanHaren said the company is on track to exceed its business-to-business goals in 2022, and looks forward to forging additional strategic partnerships in the coming year to help scale the business.
"We believe that every feeding parent deserves support at work, at home and on the go, and we're laser-focused on continuing to work with employers and organizations to make this happen," she added.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments