Mori makes childrenswear brand Kidly its first acquisition

Baby and childrenswear brand Mori has made its first acquisition. The company has snapped up fellow British children’s clothing retailer Kidly as it continues to pursue growth both in and beyond the UK.

By bringing the two brands together, Mori said it is moving closer to becoming “one of the best-loved baby and children’s brands globally”. Kidly, which will be rebranded to Kidly by Mori, is now exclusively available to shop via Mori’s e-commerce site. In turn, Kidly’s former managing director, Janette Delaney, will join the Mori team to support the integration.

For Mori, meanwhile, the acquisition provides further expansion into the preschool category, as well as signalling a broader strategic ambition: “to support high-potential children’s brands in both the UK and US that may be facing financial challenges”. The company thus noted that it was “actively exploring further opportunities to partner with or acquire complementary businesses in the baby and kids space”.

In a release, chairman of Mori, Justin Stead, said: “This acquisition doubles down on Mori’s strategy to expand both our brand and product offering through exceptional partnerships that help us reach new audiences and communities around the world. Our five strategic pillars are clearly working, as reflected in the continued success of the business — and we believe this acquisition will further accelerate both sales and profitability over the next two years. Akin [Onal, founder and CEO of Mori] and the Mori team continue to execute a clear and disciplined strategy with impressive focus and impact.”

Mori, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, currently operates across D2C, retail and wholesale, and is planning to open its fourth physical store in the UK this month, with further locations planned throughout 2025.