Hip Mommies
10x growth, 300 retailers, 85% retention rate, 12 Canadian brand launches. How we reinvented wholesale for the premium market.
Founded in 2004 as a traditional distributor, Hip Mommies transformed when I joined as co-founder and creative director in 2014. At our 10-year mark, I led a complete rebrand and expansion, growing us from B2B-only wholesale into a national premium brand with thriving direct-to-consumer channels. I rebuilt our brand strategy, launched and optimized our Shopify and Amazon storefronts, and kept our premium positioning intact while opening new revenue streams.
Today, Hip Mommies supports over 300 retailers nationwide and an engaged D2C audience, delivering sustainable baby products across Canada.
Roles
Co-founder, Creative and Marketing Director
Methods
Brand Strategy & Positioning, Product Launch Strategy, Community Engagement, e-Commerce Growth, Digital Marketing, Content Strategy, Generative AI and AI-Creative Direction
Results at a Glance
- 10x revenue growth and expansion from wholesale-only to a thriving D2C and Amazon presence.
- 300+ retail partners
- 85% retailer retention
- 12 new Canadian brand launches
- Category leadership in sustainable children’s products
CHALLENGE
How might we turn a well-established wholesale business into a premium, sustainability-driven brand that connects with modern consumers and scales across both direct-to-consumer and business-to-business markets?
Traditional wholesale relied on outdated methods like print catalogues, trade shows, and in-person sales. These limited real-time engagement and failed to connect with modern buyers. Outdated systems also blocked seamless online ordering and made it harder to build lasting relationships with retailers and customers.
We saw three key problems:
Outdated Technology: Legacy systems slowed online ordering and timely engagement.
No Clear Brand Personality: Traditional wholesale often lacks a distinct personality and narrative that resonates with today’s buyers.
Missed Direct-to-Consumer Growth: Without a direct-to-consumer strategy, brands lose chances to build loyalty, gain insights, and grow deeper relationships.
The Solution: Create a Digital-First, Community-Driven Brand
A purpose-driven brand narrative that resonates with modern retail buyers and end consumers.
Simplified ordering through an intuitive, always-on digital platform with real-time stock levels, sales tools, and marketing assets for buyers.
Direct-to-consumer channels that build direct relationships, provide real-time market insights, and deepen connections.
Better technology to enable seamless, personalized interactions for both wholesale and direct customers.
Sustainability and community positioned as core values that set Hip Mommies apart from traditional wholesale.
Ready-to-use marketing resources that help retailers promote products with high-quality, diverse media across all channels.
Brand Strategy & Repositioning
We moved away from catalog-driven sales and centered our identity around real stories of sustainability, thoughtful design, and conscious consumption. By crafting a clear narrative and pairing it with strategic digital campaigns, we reshaped the market conversation and influenced purchasing decisions nationwide.
Community Building & Content Strategy
Most wholesale distributors only maintain relationships with retail partners. I saw a chance to build genuine connections with both retailers and consumers creating a community that was unheard of in our space.
By positioning Hip Mommies as an expert in consumer product safety and sustainable goods, we earned trust and stood apart. Our thought leadership even shaped Today’s Parent magazine’s investigation into counterfeit baby products. Our social media community grew to over 15,000 followers (remarkable for a wholesale brand) with boutique walkthroughs regularly topping 10,000 views.
To deepen this connection, I launched the Cost of Goods Sold podcast to spotlight innovators in sustainable products, expanding our network and our authority far beyond our own brands. The podcast opened doors for meaningful conversations about sustainable manufacturing and conscious consumption, connecting us with industry partners, curious consumers, and future collaborators.
Our exclusive HM Insiders program brought select parents into our product development process, giving them early access and recognition. This small group tested products at home, shared honest feedback, and built strong bonds through private chats — turning them into passionate, natural advocates for our brands.
Our annual Enthusiast Search became one of our most powerful campaigns, inviting families across Canada to help represent us. It generated 50% higher engagement than any other effort. Every participant was celebrated, and winners were featured in professional photoshoots used throughout our marketing. This approach tackled the lack of diversity in baby product marketing head-on, giving our retail partners authentic imagery while turning our platform into a force for positive change.
Strategic Product Launches & Brand Building
Elevating Ezpz as a Premium Brand
Instead of going mass market, I shaped a selective launch strategy. We kept ezpz out of big-box stores and launched exclusively through high-end baby boutiques and specialty shops. This approach:
- Built credibility by aligning ezpz with trusted, high-quality brands
- Created demand by making the product feel aspirational and harder to access
- Maintained premium pricing and reinforced the brand’s value
I also immersed myself in parenting communities and social conversations, listening closely to how millennial parents talked about feeding and development. This guided our marketing, influencer partnerships, and messaging — making sure ezpz’s launch spoke directly to their real needs and values.
Building Awareness & Market Leadership
To position ezpz as a must-have brand, I led a multi-channel strategy that included:
- Securing features in Today’s Parent, Canada’s top parenting publication
- Building genuine influencer partnerships with trusted voices in the feeding and parenting space
- Using educational content and community engagement to frame ezpz as an essential developmental tool, not just another plate
- Collaborating with medical professionals to integrate ezpz into clinics, adding credibility and reinforcing its developmental benefits
This thoughtful, strategic approach helped turn ezpz into Canada’s gold standard for premium feeding.
“Jennifer is an absolute force! Her creativity knows no bounds, and she has an incredible eye for detail that makes everything she touches stand out. Beyond that, her business acumen is next-level—she has a strategic mindset that turns ideas into real, lasting success. It has been truly inspiring to watch her transform Hip Mommies into such a powerhouse. Jenn’s creativity, passion and dedication are unmatched!”
“Jennifer leads with a unique blend of creativity and business acumen, ensuring that our business remains at the forefront of the market, connecting modern parents with thoughtfully designed, high-quality baby products. Her ability to anticipate trends, cultivate strong partnerships, and communicate with authenticity transformed Hip Mommies Inc. and rebuilt it into a thriving business. It wouldn’t be what it is today without her.”
Digital Experience & Growth
The future of wholesale is digital connection. I led Hip Mommies’ shift by designing tools that built stronger, more personal relationships with our retail partners — and extended that care to our direct-to-consumer audience too.
For B2B, I replaced outdated catalog ordering with an intuitive digital platform and virtual tools that brought us closer to buyers. I introduced video product walkthroughs and virtual showroom sessions that kept personal connections alive, no matter the distance. Our Packaged Goods newsletter gave buyers real-time inventory data, while our B2B content strategy delivered industry insights and product education instead of generic sales pitches.
For consumers, I designed targeted email flows that followed families through their feeding journey — suggesting the right products at the right time and sharing helpful content instead of aggressive sales messaging. Using the StoryBrand framework, I positioned Hip Mommies as a trusted guide for parents who care about sustainable choices.
I also rebuilt our Shopify store with a user-centered approach, streamlining B2B ordering with clear systems and easy-to-use digital catalogs that made wholesale simple and fast.
Expanding into New Channels with Amazon Canada
To broaden our reach while protecting premium positioning, I designed and launched our Amazon Canada storefront. I optimized listings, refined visuals, and shaped the customer experience to align with our storytelling-driven brand. By managing inventory carefully and using Amazon’s marketplace tools strategically, I made our curated product line easier to discover and purchase; without ever compromising our focus on quality, sustainability, or selective distribution.
Hip Mommies’ transformation from a traditional distributor to a premium, purpose-driven brand reshaped the Canadian children’s product market.
Over eight years, we drove 10x revenue growth, built a trusted network of more than 300 retail partners with an 85% retention rate, and helped lead the category for sustainable children’s products in Canada.
By taking a digital-first, community-driven approach, we set a new standard for what modern wholesale can look like. Our flagship brand, ezpz, became the country’s top feeding brand, proving that thoughtful positioning and authentic storytelling can turn a niche idea into a market leader.
Through education, community building, and a clear sustainability focus, we made premium, eco-friendly choices more accessible for retailers and families across Canada. This work shows that wholesale can evolve and scale without losing purpose — with the right strategy behind it.
Curious how this approach could help you grow your own community, expand your channels, or reposition your brand for what’s next? Let’s talk.
Do you have creative problems that need solving?
Let’s connect.
Toronto, Canada | Say Hi! ⇢ jennifermyerschua@gmail.com | linkedin/JenniferMyersChua
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