Mothercare Malaysia retailer seeks IPO

Kim Hin Joo, operator of ELC and Mothercare Malaysia, is preparing for an IPO on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market. The move, expected to generate funding for the group’s further expansion and expenditure, will see a public issue of 76 million new shares (20 per cent of its enlarged share capital) and an offer of 57 million existing shares (15 per cent of its enlarged capital). Of those shares, 47 million will be reserved for selected investors. Pricing has yet to be decided.

The firm’s non-executive chairman Pang Kim Hin will see his personal stake reduced to 62.3 per cent after the IPO from his current 90.3 per cent.

Kim Hin Joo has 16 Mothercare locations and 11 ELC SIS in several major Malaysian centers, with 599 distribution points nationwide and 10 overseas. It plans to open four to five new Mothercare stores within the next three years in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, and outside the Klang Valley area.

“We are in the midst of finalising a development agreement with toy retailer The Entertainer UK which will grant us the exclusive rights to open and operate The Entertainer toy outlets, and sell a broad range of toys,” the company said in a statement.

“We target to conclude the discussions and sign the development agreement by the first half of 2019.”

The group is also planning to concurrently revamp and upgrade its e-commerce platform by replacing its back-end IT infrastructure system and to expand its distribution portfolio.