FemPAQ turns to AI for retail edge
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FemPAQ's period kit. Photo: Nate Leonard/femPAQ
With little cash and no coding background, femPAQ founder April Roy used AI to build an online women’s health platform in less than 90 days. She’s hoping it will draw shoppers to her $1.97 period kits at Walmart.
Why it matters: Roy’s approach shows how a small brand can use AI to develop sophisticated digital marketing and compete for consumer attention.
- The app also gives customers health information that extends beyond the pad, tampon and wipe inside femPAQ’s Walmart kit.
State of play: Fayetteville-based femPAQ launched its web app, femPAQ Health, this month.
- It includes menstrual cycle tracking and tools for maternal blood pressure, IVF, perimenopause and GLP-1 tracking, Roy said.
- Its "My Twin" feature lets younger users create an avatar and ask questions about periods and health.
- The free app pairs with a QR code and femPAQ’s Walmart kits to reach customers.
Behind the scenes: Roy lacked the money and technical experience she thought it would require.
- Roy received $500 in development credits and began building an early version.
- When that platform repeatedly broke, Roy turned to Anthropic’s Claude tools.
- She used them to learn GitHub, Supabase and database basics while building femPAQ Health, she said.
- One of Roy’s daughters suggested the customizable avatar, while another’s questions about privacy helped shape the parental controls.
How it works: Users younger than 13 need a parent to verify their account through an emailed link, Roy said.
- Parents can receive alerts tied to crisis language and limited topic summaries intended to prompt conversations with their children; however, parents cannot read a child’s full conversations, she said.
- Roy describes My Twin as a personal health guide, not a replacement for medical care or family conversations.
By the numbers: The kits were stocked in 484 Walmart stores across 46 states as of Aug. 3, Roy said. The company reported 2,115 units sold year to date.
Flashback: Roy started femPAQ in 2018 and moved it to Northwest Arkansas in 2021.
- At the time, femPAQ largely sold $7.99 emergency period kits in bulk to schools, hotels and other organizations.
Zoom out: FemPAQ expanded its product line rather than replacing its larger kits with the $1.97 Walmart version.
- In addition to the three-item kit, femPAQ offers a five-item kit with a liner and underwear.
- A seven-item kit also includes dark chocolate and a cramp relief product and is sold through wholesale and institutional partners.
- A separate kit for first-time menstruators ages 10–14 is available through wholesale partners.
What’s next: Roy is collecting feedback from parents and hopes to show that the platform can benefit Walmart customers while drawing attention to femPAQ’s kits.