FirstCry news and archive

Mothercare to change hands in India from DLF Brands to FirstCry

FirstCry is looking to buy the India franchisee rights for UK’s kids brand Mothercare from DLF Brands in a bid to reinforce its presence in the growing kids’ market. It will also raise equity funding of about 100 million dollars (Rs 665.27 crore), valuing FirstCry’s owner Brainbees Solutions at 400-500 million dollars. Mothercare is the latest...

Retail

E-tailers ramp up offline presence to take on brick-and-mortar stores

Many e-tailers are gaining significantly by setting up brick-and-mortar stores and giving the offline ones a run for their money. These stores are seeing significant contributions to revenue and bottomline from their physical store. Stores like FirstCry, Lenskart and Pepperfry are some of these which have gained from their offline avatars....

Business

FirstCry reports 50 per cent loss at Rs 63.73 crores for FY15

FirstCry, the baby care e-portal, reported a loss of Rs 62.73 crores for the fiscal ending March 31, 2015. Last year, it was Rs 41.71 crores. The company reported total revenue of Rs 118.08 crores which is more than last year’s when it was Rs 73.78 crores. FirstCry is run by Pune-based Brainbee Solutions. It works on a mixed model of physical...

Retail

E-tailiers opting for physical retail to attract buyers

Several e-commerce companies are opening physical stores to give customers the touch-and-feel experience of products and stand out in the clutter of online retail space. Flipkart, Zivame, Pepperfry, FirstCry and Lenskart have started offline experience zones to differentiate their offerings from their online rivals and to increase credibility....

Retail

FirstCry launches premium section for elite shoppers

Baby products retailer FirstCry, having successfully implemented offline and online retail business, has now unveiled a premium section on its platform and stores to cater to elite shoppers. It has roped in international brands and boutique baby products to the country through this section. The company has already launched over 160 such brands...

People

FirstCry strengthens team, eyes offline expansion

Babycare retailer FirstCry which retails both online as well as offline, is busy building its team, while looking at increasing its number of stores to 200 by mid-next year from 125 at present. The Pune-based company has almost doubled its headcount to about 800 in the past six months, as it looks to strengthen its offline presence. Recently,...

Business

PE funds open their wallets for online kids’ players

After several online and offline players in the kids’ wear category were forced to exit, global PE firm Bain Capital sued EY (Ernst & Young) in the US court against their investment advice in domestic kids’ wear chain Lilliput. PE investors have been skeptical about the kids’ brands and retailer. However, the scenario is gradually changing with...

Retail

Firstcry.com to raise more funds next year

Online children-focused e-commerce player Firstcry.com has roped in acclaimed actor Amitabh Bachchan to as its brand ambassador. The company is also eyeing raising more funds again next year through a fifth funding round. So far it has raised 36 million dollars (over Rs 228 crores) in Series D funding led by venture capital firm New Enterprise...

Retail

Firstcry succeeds with its omni-channel approach

Firstcry.com, the retailer that caters to babies and mothers’ segment with products targeted towards pregnant mothers, babies has succeeded in growing operations with its omni-channel model. The site offers over 800 national and international brands on its platform. Incepted in September 2010 by Brainbees Solution, and with over 100 franchise...

Retail

Indian kids’ retail market on growth track - ASSOCHAM

As per a recent study undertaken by ASSOCHAM, the Indian kids’ wear market is expected to reach Rs 80,000 crores by 2015. The kids’ fashion has infiltrated into Tier II and III cities like Dehradun, Chandigarh, Pune, Nashik, Indore and Varanasi, the report adds. The kids’ wear market is growing at 17 percent, making it one of the most attractive...

Retail

Firstcry stores hit a century, to open 100 more

Launched as an e-commerce platform exclusively dedicated to kidswear and kids’ accessories, the four-year-old company Firstcry.com has surpassed its own record of 100 physical stores. The company now aims to expand its reach by opening 100 more stores in the country. Firstcry has been focusing on the expansion of its retail network in smaller...

Apparel

Online portals expand offline retail presence

Despite a rise in online shoppers and e-commerce platforms, many e-tailers are expanding their offline store presence. For instance, online portal Firstcry may have the most number of offline baby care stores in the country by the year end. Pune-based Firstcry plans to expand its network of franchisee brick-and-mortar stores from 70 to 125 by...