Companies

Kenyan, Nigerian online baby shops merge for growth

isis

Isis Nyong’o, the CEO of MumsVillage. FILE PHOTO | NMG

A Kenyan online shop for baby products has merged with its Nigerian counterpart as they seek a piece of East and West African market.

MumsVillage and Nigeria’s BabyBliss, both specialising in mother and child care products, have merged into a new entity dubbed Bliss.

MumsVillage currently features parenting advice and guide as well as an online shop for baby products including diapers, wipes, baby gear, toys, books and feeding accessories.

“I’m excited to lead this new entity into meeting the changing needs of African women and showing that they are indeed a market that cannot be ignored,” said Isis Nyong’o, the CEO of MumsVillage.

“Bliss Group will leverage on our networks, learnings and reach to convert the financial opportunity that exists into reality by delivering not just greater shareholder value for our investors, but looking to build a real powerhouse with women at the helm.”

The firms will ride on increased growth of e-commerce in both markets as women increasingly turn to buying products online.

Kenya’s e-commerce market is estimated to Sh107 billion ($1.003 billion) sales this year while Nigeria’s will rake in Sh489 billion ($4.556 billion).

“The BabyBliss vision has always been Pan-African, this opportunity sets us on a course to actualising that with increased momentum,” said Jika Nwobi, BabyBliss Nigeria CEO.

MumsVillage online shop has products such as Aveeno, Avent, Cussons Baby, Johnson and Johnson, Fisher Price, Huggies, Lifebouy, Pampers and Tommee Tippee.

The e-commerce space in Kenya has been on an upward trajectory with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development E-commerce index placing Nairobi at position 88, up from 87.