Retail / news
Carter's Launches First Brand Refresh Since 2000 to Woo Gen Z and Millennial Parents
The 161-year-old children's apparel retailer is rolling out a new logo, visual identity and marketing push aimed at younger parents, backed by a creator program and a partnership with Outward Bound.
The repositioning centers on a new brand commitment — "to let every child's light shine" — alongside an updated logo and visual identity, the company's first wholesale overhaul of its branding in more than two decades.
Marketing tactics are shifting too. Carter's is building a dedicated creator program and has struck a new partnership with Outward Bound as part of the rebrand, moves designed to reach parents who came of age on social platforms.
The pitch arrives during a period of improving topline performance. Carter's has posted three consecutive quarters of net sales growth, including a 5% increase to $615 million in the second quarter of 2026.
The company is also working from a leaner cost base. In October it announced plans to close 150 stores and cut 300 jobs over three years, a decision it partly attributed to the financial impact of tariffs.
Leadership has changed as well. Sharon Price John, previously chief executive of Build-A-Bear, joined as CEO in June. On her first quarterly earnings call in July, she described Carter's as "a well-established, diversified company with a solid foundation for expansion" and flagged attracting more Gen Z customers as a particular focus.
Founded in 1865, Carter's is a dominant player in the children's apparel category and has navigated a long run of highs and lows across its 161-year history.