Mum's the word for this e-retailer

Bilingual portal now focuses on expansion into m-commerce

Soon after becoming a mother, Mona Ataya realised the need for a one-stop shop in the UAE where mothers could compare and purchase products for their children.
Mona, along with her co-founders, decided to fill the gap by launching Mumzworld.com, a comprehensive bilingual shopping and information portal for mother, baby and child products from newborns to 12-year-old children.
"Mumzworld.com was introduced in October 2011 by mothers for mothers and a highly experienced group of professionals who have over 25 years of experience in the Middle East and North Africa region," Mona told Khaleej Times.
Mona recalled how she and her co-founders started the project with all their savings and worked without salaries for extended periods.
"This is a project built from the heart with a social impact as its core driver," she said.
As a founding partner and CEO of Mumzworld.com, Mona has worked tirelessly to set the strategic direction and drive the success of the company.
Today, Mumzworld.com has enjoyed considerable growth across the region, tapping into a fast growing regional market segment with an award-winning online platform that is user-friendly and offers the largest online inventory available in the GCC.
"The company's e-commerce platform sells products across 11 major categories such as travel, diapers and bath, safety, clothes, toys, food, nursery and bedroom, school and books and maternity," she said.
Stocking over 100,000 products for mothers, children and babies, 20,000 of which it offers exclusively, the e-commerce retailer is now focusing on expansion into m-commerce.
The site currently has access to more than 650,000 mothers in the region and has very high loyalty, with over 45 per cent of its customers coming back to buy five to six times a year.
"We launched Mumzworld.com with the vision of making a mother's life easier and to empower her to make the most informed purchase decisions everyday," she said.
"We give her access to the largest range of quality products that she can easily search, compare and buy from the comfort of her home. We also give her access to transparent low pricing by sourcing from suppliers and leading brands from all over the world," Mona said.
"We only source original products directly from manufacturers. Mums can rest assured that they are only getting the best for their children," she said.
By offering customers free returns, deliveries in two to three days and a best price guarantee, Mumzworld.com maintains a high customer satisfaction rate, with 90 per cent willing to recommend the portal to a friend, she said.
"We are a customer-focused company and everything we do is targeted to make their lives easier through a superior and smart online platform. We are driven and motivated by customer satisfaction and we work daily to put our customer first," she said.
Prior to establishing Mumzworld, Mona was part of the group of successful entrepreneurs who founded Bayt.com - a well-established and recognised market leader in online recruitment in the region. She said the UAE is a country which has innovation as a core part of its DNA.
"The evolution of the country to what it is today has proven that nothing is impossible and all dreams are limited only by your fears," she said.
"Dubai, surrounded by growth, innovation and opportunities, is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs who want to contribute to and change the world," Mona said.
She said there are so many opportunities for young start-ups in the market, they only have to recognise it.
"Find a gap in the market, develop an idea that addresses the consumer need and execute it with excellence," she said.
She said technology now plays a vital role in today's business environment.
"We are a technology company first and foremost. We use technology to reinvent traditional ways of shopping, communication with our customers and creating a community. It is technology that allows us to create a more seamless, limitless world. We are constantly evolving our technology to give the customer a personalised, enjoyable, empowering and immediate gratification experience," she concluded.

Mumzworld secures multi-million dollar investmentMumzworld.com has successfully closed its Series B funding with multi-million dollar investments led by Wamda Capital, twofour54 and Endeavor Catalyst. Additional investors include Precinct Partners and WSB Holding among others, as well as several pre-existing investors who increased their stake in the company. The new partnerships bring not only financial investment, but also offer important strategic contribution for the e-commerce site. The 'smart capital' injection received from investors in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, US and the UAE will prove particularly instrumental in the facilitation of Mumzworld's aggressive growth plans for the GCC. "Finding the right strategic partners during this latest round of funding has been a key element for us, because it is clear our future growth depends on more than capital input," Mona Ataya said.

- riaz@khaleejtimes.com