eStyle Raises $11 Million for BabyStyle.com

eStyle Inc. owns and operates BabyStyle, providing both online and offline retail locations for Baby products and the expecting mother.

BabyStyle provides maternity, items for babies, childrens apparel, toys and more, both online and offline at their retail stores.

Why did we cover and post a story about an offline retailer that has an online presence? We did for a couple of reasons. First, is it an offline retailer with an online presence or is it an online store with offline retail locations? You will only know when the company closes one or the other, if the retail stops are slowly closing then you know the core, most profitable, of the business was online and vice versa. It used to be assumed that offline retailers created an online presence, however I beleive the future will show more businesses starting online and once gaining market presence and achieving certain financial and branding milestones will then create offline stores.

Our second reason for covering this is that we love the site, a well done e-commerce site. As we see so many social networks, and many in niche areas, the market may not be able to sustain them all. If the market of niche social networks begins to consolidate I can forsee companies such as BabyStyle purchasing and lending their brand and consumer base to a maternity social network by merging them into their brand for increased consumer loyalty and affinity.