Carter's

What Carter's does

Carter's, Inc. (NYSE: CRI) is a publicly traded, Atlanta-headquartered branded marketer of apparel and related products for babies and young children, founded in 1865 and operating as North America's largest apparel company exclusively in this category. The company's product portfolio spans its flagship Carter's brand alongside sub-brands including OshKosh B'gosh (heritage denim and overalls), Little Planet (organic and sustainable apparel), Skip Hop (baby gear and accessories), and Otter Avenue (trend-focused toddler apparel), covering size ranges from preemie through 14. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer through more than 1,000 company-operated retail stores and the carter's.com e-commerce platform across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with no third-party wholesale or marketplace presence.

The business model is primarily unit-priced retail of low-cost branded apparel, with MSRP typically in the $5–$58 range, supplemented by a brand licensing stream (including collaborations such as Umbro soccer apparel), a proprietary credit card, and a customer rewards program. Carter's serves parents and caregivers across baby, toddler, and kids segments, with stated strategic emphasis on Gen Z parents and middle-income households. Recent financial performance shows FY2025 net sales of $2.898 billion (up 1.9% year-over-year) following multi-year revenue declines, Q4 FY2025 net sales of $925 million (up 8%), and Q1 FY2026 net sales of $681 million (up 8%). Adjuted diluted EPS for FY2025 was $3.47, down 40% from $5.81 in FY2024, pressured by tariffs that raised the company's effective tariff rate from roughly 13% to above 35%.

In 2025-2026, Carter's underwent significant leadership and structural changes: Doug Palladini departed as CEO, Sharon Price John (former Build-A-Bear CEO) was appointed effective June 15, 2026, and the company announced restructuring including approximately 300 corporate layoffs (15% of office-based roles) and the planned closure of approximately 150 North American stores over three years, targeting $35 million in annual savings. Concurrently, Carter's expanded into Argentina ($10 million for 30 stores over five years), launched multiple cultural and sports partnerships (Umbro, Atlanta Dream, Tyrese Haliburton), refinanced debt with a $575 million senior notes offering at 7.375% due 2031, and filed for approximately $130 million in IEEPA tariff refunds.

Name

Carter's

Legal name

Carter's, Inc.

Website

https://carters.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Carter's, Inc. (NYSE: CRI) is North America's largest branded apparel retailer exclusively for babies and young children, operating 1,000+ company-operated stores and e-commerce across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina under the Carter's, OshKosh B'gosh, Little Planet, Skip Hop, and Otter Avenue brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Apparel Retail

NAICS

General Merchandise Retailers (455)

SIC

Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids’ & Baby Apparel Retail (CRAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Kids & Baby Specialty Department Stores (CRAGAGAD), Kids & Baby-Focused Catalog Department Store Retailers (CRAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Children's apparel
• Baby clothing
• Toddler fashion
• School uniforms
• Baby gear accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Direct sales of baby, toddler, and children's apparel and accessories through company-operated retail stores and e-commerce. Primary revenue driver with FY2025 net sales of $2.898 billion. Includes sales under Carter's, OshKosh B'gosh, Little Planet, and other branded products.
2. Brand Licensing: Licensing of Carter's brands including OshKosh B'gosh for third-party products and collaborations, such as the Umbro soccer apparel partnership

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Carter's, Inc. is a North American branded marketer and retailer of apparel and accessories for babies, toddlers, and young children, operating brands such as Carter's, OshKosh B'gosh, Little Planet, Otter Avenue, and Skip Hop. The company sells through more than 1,000 company-operated retail stores across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, alongside its e-commerce platform at carters.com, and licenses its brands for third-party products and collaborations.

Product overview

Carter's is a multi-brand children's apparel and baby gear retailer operating primarily in North America. The company's portfolio consists of its core Carter's brand (baby, toddler, and children's clothing), complemented by sub-brands including OshKosh B'gosh (heritage denim and overalls), Little Planet (sustainable organic clothing), Otter Avenue (contemporary toddler styles), and Skip Hop (baby gear and accessories). The company sells through company-operated retail stores, e-commerce platforms, and department store partnerships across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Product offerings span clothing categories (pajamas, bodysuits, outfits, dresses, swimwear, school uniforms, seasonal collections) and baby gear (diaper bags, nursery items, bath products, toys), with recent expansion into licensed character collaborations and brand partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Planet: Sustainable children's apparel brand offering organic and eco-friendly clothing options
• Skip Hop
• Otter Avenue
• OshKosh B'gosh

Products and services

• Carter's (Core Brand) Carter's primary brand offering baby, toddler, and children's clothing including pajamas, bodysuits, outfits, dresses, swimwear, and accessories for sizes newborn to 14.
• OshKosh B'gosh Heritage children's apparel brand under Carter's featuring iconic overalls, denim, and classic American-style clothing for babies, toddlers, and kids.
• Little Planet Sustainable and organic-focused children's apparel line offering eco-friendly pajamas, outfits, and basics made with organic materials.
• Otter Avenue Trend-focused toddler apparel brand offering contemporary styles including tops, bottoms, dresses, swimwear, and outerwear for toddler boys and girls.
• Skip Hop Baby gear and accessories brand offering diaper bags, nursery furniture, bath products, meal gear, and toys for infants and toddlers.
• School Uniforms OshKosh B'gosh branded school uniform collection including polos, pants, shorts, skirts, shoes, and multipacks for sizes 2T-14.
• Baby Gear Comprehensive baby care and gear products including diaper bags, bath essentials, nursery furniture, high chairs, travel accessories, and toys.
• Carter's x Umbro Soccer Collection Limited-edition soccer-themed children's apparel collection in partnership with Umbro featuring team kits inspired by eight countries, launched April 2026 ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
• OshKosh B'gosh Reissued Collection Limited holiday capsule reintroducing iconic styles from the OshKosh B'gosh archives, featuring vintage prints, heritage silhouettes, and nostalgic characters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.1% revenue growth in Q1 2026 with 27.9% stock increase
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Atlanta DreamcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 June 2026Multi-season partnership covering the 2026 and 2027 WNBA seasons designed to create family-focused experiences including in-arena activations, community events, retail integrations, and co-branded content series. Features Carter's branding throughout Dream home games, 'Carter's Family Takeover' during Fourth of July Family Celebration Game, and events at Carter's Atlanta-area retail locations.
• Tyrese HaliburtonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2026Two-year partnership with NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton as OshKosh B'gosh's first multi-year professional basketball ambassador, focused on youth development and community initiatives. Carter's Charitable Foundation making an initial $150,000 investment supporting the Haliburton Family Foundation as part of the partnership.
• UmbrocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Limited-edition children's apparel collaboration featuring soccer-themed kits inspired by eight countries (USA, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Canada, France, England) launching April 6 at Carter's retail stores and online. The collection merges Carter's position as North America's largest baby and children's apparel company with Umbro's heritage in soccer apparel, targeting the 2026 World Cup excitement.
• Oeko-TexsupportingOthersOeko-Tex provides the Oeko-Tex 100 certification ensuring Carter's products are free from harmful substances. Carter's is targeting 99% Oeko-Tex 100 certification across its product range.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Mothercare: Mothercare is a heritage UK-based specialist baby and children's retailer with international franchise presence. While primarily serving EMEA rather than North America, it is comparable in business model (dedicated baby/children's multi-store retailer) and demonstrates the specialty-retail format's geographic variants.

Direct peers

• The Children's Place: The Children's Place is the closest direct competitor to Carter's — a specialty retailer focused exclusively on children's and baby apparel sold through stores and e-commerce. Overlapping customer base (parents of babies to ~14-year-olds), similar product categories, and same value-conscious positioning make it the most directly comparable peer.
• Gap Inc. (GapKids, babyGap, Old Navy): Gap Inc.'s GapKids, babyGap, and Old Navy brands directly compete with Carter's and OshKosh in children's and family apparel across comparable price points. Same demographic, similar DTC-plus-storefront distribution model, and overlapping seasonal and back-to-school demand.
• Gymboree (relaunched brand): Gymboree is a heritage children's apparel brand that re-entered the market after bankruptcy and competes with Carter's in the toddler and kids categories. Direct overlap on customer demographic, product type (playful everyday clothing), and price positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Target Corporation (Cat & Jack): Target's owned Cat & Jack brand is the dominant mass-market children's apparel line in the U.S. and competes directly with Carter's on price and assortment. While Target operates as a broad general-merchandise retailer, its kids apparel business has national scale and comparable unit volumes to Carter's, making it a key benchmark.
• Walmart (Parent's Choice, George): Walmart competes with Carter's through its private-label and branded children's apparel lines at the value end of the market. As the largest U.S. retailer, it captures significant share of lower-income family apparel spend that overlaps with Carter's middle-income target customer.
• TJX Companies: TJX's Marshalls and HomeGoods banners carry significant children's and baby apparel assortments at off-price. While not a dedicated children's retailer, TJX competes for the value-conscious parent shopper that Carter's also targets, particularly on basics and seasonal merchandise.
• Amazon (kids apparel marketplace): Amazon is the largest online children's apparel destination in the U.S. through both marketplace sellers and private labels. Competes with Carter's e-commerce business on convenience, price, and selection, and increasingly on private-label basics.

Emerging players

• Monica + Andy: Monica + Andy is a digital-first, sustainably-focused baby and toddler apparel brand. While much smaller than Carter's, it directly competes for the higher-income, sustainability-conscious parent segment that Carter's Little Planet brand targets, and represents the type of digital-native entrant shaping Gen Z purchase behavior.
• Kyte Baby: Kyte Baby is a DTC-focused sustainable baby apparel brand competing in the same organic, eco-conscious baby clothing segment as Carter's Little Planet. Representative of the emerging digital-native challengers Carter's must defend against in the Gen Z parent category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/carters
• Xx.com/carters
• Facebookfacebook.com/carters

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carter's