Dive Brief:
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On Thursday, select Kohl’s stores will begin offering an assortment from Motherhood maternity apparel, previously known as Motherhood Maternity.
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The brand has been overhauled, not just its name and logo, but also its marketing and fashion design, according to a press release Tuesday from owner Marquee Brands, a brand management firm.
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For design and manufacturing, Motherhood has strategic multi-year agreements with Topson Downs for maternity apparel and Gelmart International for maternity intimates, per a Marquee press release.
Dive Insight:
Marquee’s portfolio includes a slew of brands, including Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Sur La Table, America's Test Kitchen, BCBG, Bruno Magli, Isotoner and, as of late 2019, a handful of maternity brands.
In December that year, the brand management firm bought Destination Maternity, which included the namesake brand plus Motherhood Maternity and A Pea in the Pod, for $50 million during Destination Maternity’s bankruptcy. Last year, the operation of those brands was transferred to a newly formed entity, Hatch Collective, with Marquee retaining rights to the intellectual property.
As part of the rebranding announced Tuesday, Motherhood dropped “Maternity” from its name, and simplified its logo, with “motherhood” in a san-serif, all-lowercase font.
Motherhood’s partnership with Kohl’s is a return to the brick-and-mortar retail channel after selling online-only for five years, per Marquee’s release. That can be seen an acknowledgment of the importance of moving beyond the internet to grow sales, not just in a brand’s own stores but also via wholesale. As of Thursday, the revamped brand will be available via Kohl’s stores, Kohl’s website and its own website.
“As a leader in the market, it was essential to update our branding to reflect Motherhood's contemporary direction,” Marquee Brands Chief Brand Officer Rachel Terrace said in a statement. “Our deepened commitment to our customers, along with our partnerships with Topson Downs and Gelmart, will substantially enhance Motherhood’s product offerings. With the launch at select Kohl’s stores nationwide and online, we are excited to provide accessible, flexible shopping options to mothers everywhere.”
For Kohl’s, it’s the latest move in updating and diversifying its merchandise. This month alone, the retailer announced that it is bringing dress shops to 700 stores, with an expanded assortment; tween brand Limited Too will relaunch at its stores and online; it’s adding a new assortment from Aéropostale and it will offer an expanded assortment from Madden Girl.
Earlier this year, Kohl’s also partnered with Babies R Us and boosted its home assortment by 40%.
