Singapore-based parent community platform The Parentinc has entered the offline retail market by acquiring Motherswork, a premium retailer of mum, baby, and kids’ products in Singapore and China.

The Parentinc said in a statement on Thursday that the acquisition of Motherswork signifies a pivotal moment for The Parentinc as it positions itself firmly on the trajectory towards an initial public offering by bolstering its commitment to building a self-sustaining content, community, and commerce ecosystem for parents in Southeast Asia (SEA).

While The Parentinc has established remarkable success online, it said Motherswork will play a pivotal role in expanding the company’s offline presence by opening up more Motherswork stores in key markets in the region, including Vietnam, where Mama’s Choice will be distributed exclusively by Motherswork.

This acquisition comes on the heels of recent high-profile initial public offerings (IPOs) from mother and baby brands such as First Cry and Mamaearth, setting a compelling precedent for The Parentinc’s ascent into the ranks of these notable companies.

According to The Parentinc, the strategic move will demonstrate The Parentinc’s commitment to charting a path towards sustained growth and market leadership in the ever-evolving parenting landscape, and aligns with the recent high-profile IPOs within the mother and baby sector.

As Mamaearth’s current IPO valuation is set at $1.2 billion, and FirstCry, which filed for IPO in December 2023, is anticipated to set its valuation between $3.5 billion to $3.75 billion, it said the acquisition of Motherswork by The Parentinc sets the stage for a dynamic blend of online and offline retail expertise, promising a bright future for both entities and the parenting industry they serve.

Motherswork stands as a premier omni-channel retailer specializing in premium mother, baby, and kids’ products with two stores in Singapore and ten in China.

Since launched in 1998, it has become synonymous with quality and excellence, offering customers in every stage of parenthood a curated selection of over 300 esteemed brands, with the exclusive distribution of 20 brands including Avent, Joolz and Stokke.

It is noted that The Parentinc’s flagship media brand, theAsianparent, reaches multiple million of users monthly across SEA via its website and app.

Mama’s Choice, The Parentinc’s second homegrown brand launched four years ago offering safe, natural, and Halal products for pregnancy, nursing, baby care, and household use, has already achieved remarkable success as the leading mum and baby personal care store on Tokopedia, Lazada, Shopee, and Tiktok Shops across the region.

In 2022, The Parentinc acquired Webtretho, Vietnam’s largest online community platform for women. The firm also owned app for parents Bé Yêu.

The Parentinc investors include: Central Retail Corporation, East Ventures, Fosun International, Global Grand Leisure, JD.com, LINE SEA Corp., Mirae Asset-Naver New Growth Fund, Redbadge Pacific, SCB 10X, Tigris Capital, Vertex Ventures, and WHG Holdings.

“While we have done a dramatic job of capturing the hearts and minds of the online market, 70 percent of retail in SEA is still predominantly done through offline,

“That’s why we are very excited to have our own brand stores through this acquisition as it will further refine our content to community to commerce business model, which not many companies have pulled off successfully,” said Roshni Mahtani Cheung, Group Chief Executive Officer and Founder of The Parentinc.

“We aim to be among those successful few. We are also equally enthusiastic to bring our offering of media solutions to all of the partners at Motherswork, aiming to improve the lives of mums and help them raise happy, healthy, and confident kids,” she added.

Sharon Wong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Motherswork, said that Motherswork is a well-established brand for premium mother, baby, and kids’ products in Singapore and China.

“This acquisition will enable Motherswork to expand its footprint into the other countries in Southeast Asia through The Parentinc,

“I certainly look forward to the combined synergies of our two organisations which will enable the group to scale to greater heights,” she added.

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