NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Specialty baby retailer giggle, inc. announced today that it has acquired Right Start, Inc. a subsidiary of Liberty Interactive. Right Start is a retailer of premium baby gear and products. The combination strengthens giggle's position as a dynamic leader in the newborn/toddler market. The combined company will further the shared vision of a healthy, happy baby by providing consumers with best-in-class baby/juvenile products to make the transition to parenthood smooth, easy, fun and smart.
The transaction will unite the giggle and Right Start businesses under the giggle, inc. umbrella. giggle will be the majority owner of the combined business, with Liberty Interactive maintaining a meaningful stake. "We look forward to joining forces with giggle to continue enhancing our customers' experience at this pivotal point in their lives," said Robin Pringle, Vice President, Corporate Development at Liberty Interactive.
Following the acquisition, corporate offices will transition to New York City, under the leadership of current giggle CEO Beth Guastella. giggle and Right Start will maintain their separate brands and continue to operate and grow their respective platforms. "Combining these great brands creates a dynamic business with enhanced revenue and margin expansion opportunities resulting in an exciting platform for large scale, domestic and international expansion," said David Janke, giggle Board Member and Managing Member, Blackswan Partners.
The new structure will increase presence in key existing markets, enhance customer service, and accelerate branded product development. New and expectant parents can anticipate greater value, with an increase in product assortment. "With this transaction, we are expanding upon giggle's presence as the leading specialty retailer within the newborn/toddler industry. Together with Right Start we will realize meaningful synergies and significantly enhance our growth potential," said Riad Abrahams, giggle Board Member, Chief Strategist and Member of the Private Investment Committee, Maverick Capital.
"The merger of two great, complimentary brands allows us to fully leverage the strengths of each company. This combination is a natural evolution for our businesses as we seek to expand our reach across the country to better serve our existing and new clients," giggle CEO Beth Guastella said. "Combining the power of each brand will create more opportunities for us that further the innovative, trend-forward, and effortless offerings that giggle and Right Start are known for."
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About giggle:
giggle, inc. is a trusted resource for today's design-conscious new parent with a commitment to SMART, CLEAN DESIGN + HAPPY. With retail stores around the United States, an extensive e-commerce business, a licensed products business, and a signature line of giggle baby products, giggle makes the transition to parenthood not only easier, but smarter. giggle helps parents navigate first-time decisions, by carefully curating products in categories including furniture, gear, clothing, toys, bedding, lotions & potions, gifts and more, making sure to keep it simple, stylish, healthy and happy. To find out more about the brand, visit giggle.com.
About Right Start:
Right Start is a leading retailer of juvenile products for infants through toddlers. Right Start offers parents a carefully selected assortment of products for their babies including travel gear, feeding products, décor and toys, both through an ecommerce website and retail locations. Parents have trusted Right Start to offer the most innovative, high-quality, safety tested products for their children for over 30 years. Right Start is a subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation and attributed to the Liberty Ventures Group (NASDAQ: LVNTA, LVNTB) tracking stock.To learn more about the brand, visit rightstart.com.
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SOURCE giggle, inc.
