Babystyle Expands
Babystyle is preparing for a population boom.
The online childrenswear/maternity apparel company, which nearly two years ago expanded from clicks to bricks, has named a new president and chief operating officer to help develop the company’s small retail chain.
Peter Lynch, who most recently was executive vice president of worldwide operations at Burbank, Calif.–based Warner Bros. Studio Stores, joined the company in early February. He replaces Tom Park, who left the company last summer.
“I think Peter will take the brand to a new level,” said Laurie McCartney, chairman, chief executive and founder of Babystyle, based in downtown Los Angeles. “Peter understands real estate, which is critical as we roll out our new stores.”
Tony Cherbak, a retail expert at Deloitte & Touche’s office in Costa Mesa, Calif., agreed.
“Peter has an extensive retail background and is a very seasoned retail executive,” Cherbak said. “Given the real estate side of the equation he was involved with at Warner Bros., he will be an exceptional asset.”
Warner Bros. closed all 136 of its retail stores in 2001.
In addition, Babystyle named Kathy Prost, previously executive vice president of licensing at Cherokee Inc. in Van Nuys, Calif., as chief merchandising officer, a newly created position.
“At Babystyle, we have our own brand and carry a few other brands,” McCartney said. “So Kathy understands product development and merchandising as well as multichannel retailing. She has a strong retail background, having worked at Gymboree [as vice president of merchandising], and has an online presence.”
Prost was a founding member of Style365.com, an online high-fashion site. She was also the senior vice president of merchandising at Warner Bros. Studio Stores.
Babystyle’s parent company, eStyle Inc., was founded in 1998 with $15 million in venture capital. Funders included Seattle-based Vulcan Inc., founded by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, and Los Angeles–based Zone Ventures.
Babystyle’s business model is to provide busy mothers with a Web site where they can purchase apparel and other items for their children and themselves, from cribs to maternitywear. Soon after the Web site launched, a catalog followed.
Babystyle opened its first retail store in November 2002 in the upscale community of Manhattan Beach, Calif. The company opened its second store in Newport Beach, Calif., and its third store on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, Calif. The first Northern California store opened in December in Burlingame, Calif. All the shops are in affluent neighborhoods.
McCartney, who helped expand The Walt Disney Co.’s retail stores, would not say how many new stores her company plans to open this year. “We are trying to open several more this year and expand the chain in the next few years,” she said.
“It is really about getting the right locations. It is a national brand through the Web site and catalog, so we want to locate the stores where we have a strong customer base to service them,” she said, noting the locations have to be mom-friendly with easy stroller access and convenient parking.
The privately owned company does not reveal revenues. —Deborah Belgum
