After noticing how challenging it was to find everything that she needed while preparing for her first child, Ling Fung launched Metro Baby in the height of the pandemic in March 2020.
Ling, the founder of Metro Baby, wanted to create a one-stop shop for Australia’s baby needs. Stocking over 3,400 curated baby supplies, Ling’s aim was to make this often overwhelming shopping experience simpler for everyone.
“As a first-time mum, it was overwhelming to shop for baby products. Launching Metro Baby allowed me to help first-time parents and beyond find everything that they would need without having to scour the internet,” says Ling.
But while the retail industry, like many others during the pandemic, switched to an online model, Ling has ventured into bricks and mortar with the opening of Metro Baby’s first store in March 2022. With a local staff count of 13, annual revenue over $10m and more than 70,000 orders since inception, the success of her COVID-born venture is admirable.
Speaking on the opening of the first store, Ling added “With lockdowns ending across the state, we wanted to give our customers a chance to view the products in store and get expert advice, while also continuing to expand our online presence”.
Launching Metro Baby was a fantastic achievement for Ling and now more than ever she says that there is room for mum-entrepreneurs. “The business world is changing and if COVID has shown us anything, it’s that having a family is not a barrier to launching and sustaining a successful business. Flexibility is transforming our working lives, particularly for women and I’m so excited to see more female-founded and led businesses thriving because of it.”
