SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 7 May 2026 - Ahead of Mother's Day, Shopee is spotlighting local mother-led businesses in Singapore that have transformed personal parenting experiences into purposeful brands designed around the everyday needs of families.

Featured businesses include IYLA Collective, founded by Yi Ying, and The Gift Caterer, founded by Serene, both of which have leveraged Shopee to reach more parents seeking trusted baby care, wellness, and practical gifting solutions. Their businesses began with familiar moments at home — managing a child's skin flare-ups, and receiving baby gifts that were not always useful. These experiences shaped what they chose to build: products designed around what parents actually need.

Built from lived experience

Yi Ying started IYLA Collective after struggling to find skincare and wellness products she felt comfortable using on her child. She was looking for options that were gentle and effective, but found that many available products did not meet her expectations. That search led her to build IYLA Collective, a clean beauty and wellness store curating baby, kids, and family-safe products from international brands. Its range includes multi-purpose balms used for eczema, diaper rash, and dry skin, alongside body oils designed for sensitive skin, with 70% of purchases coming from customers seeking solutions for sensitive or eczema-prone skin. Recently, the company has expanded into homecare, extending its focus on safe, everyday essentials for families.

Serene's journey began with a different but equally familiar experience. After becoming a mother, she found herself receiving baby gifts that were thoughtful, but not always practical. Soft toys and decorative items were often set aside, while essentials such as diapers, bibs, and wet wipes were what parents relied on most. She started The Gift Caterer to address that gap, focusing on newborn and motherhood gift boxes built around items parents would actually use. The business has since expanded into its own line of parenting products, including bamboo apparel and a convertible tote wet bag designed to make it easier to manage multiple items while caring for a child, all centred on everyday essentials.

"I wanted every item in the gift boxes to be something the receiver would actually use," said Serene. "The idea came from my own experience as a mother, and from understanding what parents really need in those early stages."

Reaching more families through Shopee

As both businesses grew, so did the need to reach more parents beyond their immediate networks. Through Shopee, both brands have been able to connect with families already searching for baby care, wellness products, and practical gifts. Since joining the platform, IYLA Collective has seen orders rising by close to 1.8X from 2024 to 2025. During peak campaign months, the brand has also handled more than 600 to 900 orders, reflecting strong demand from parents seeking baby, kids, and family-safe products. The Gift Caterer has similarly gained momentum with overall sales growing by around 3X since launching on Shopee in April 2025, reflecting how the platform has helped both brands reach a wider audience.

The platform makes it easier for these businesses to be discovered, especially during key shopping moments such as seasonal campaigns and occasions like Mother's Day. For Serene, moving onto Shopee also made the buying experience more seamless, as customers preferred to complete purchases on a platform they were already familiar with, where they could access promotions, delivery options, and other conveniences in one place.

"Shopee makes it easier for buyers to access our products, especially when they are already shopping there," she said. "It helps us reach more customers, while keeping the experience simple for them."

Growing businesses alongside family life

For many mother-led businesses, growth has to be built around the realities of family routines, between childcare, school runs, and late nights managing orders, refining products, and responding to customers. Shopee makes that growth more achievable by giving mumpreneurs the tools, visibility, and infrastructure to run their businesses efficiently, while reaching parents already looking for trusted baby, wellness, and gifting products online.

For founders like Yi Ying and Serene, the platform has helped them scale beyond word-of-mouth, turning personal caregiving experiences into businesses that serve a wider community. As IYLA Collective manages hundreds of orders during peak campaign months, and The Gift Caterer continues to grow, Shopee supports them in meeting demand, participating in key shopping campaigns, and creating a seamless path from product discovery to purchase.

"Start small, stay true, and let your story lead," said Yi Ying. "You don't need to have it all figured out. Just offer something that solves a real problem and connects with other parents like you." This Mother's Day, their stories show how motherhood can be a source of business insight, resilience, and innovation. By supporting mother-led brands, Shopee helps these founders grow on their own terms, while making it easier for families across Singapore to discover practical products created by parents who understand their needs first-hand.