北交所或迎来“连锁加盟第一股”？

Core Viewpoint - Chengdu Pregnancy and Baby World Co., Ltd. has received acceptance for its application to the Beijing Stock Exchange, aiming to become the first chain franchise stock in the exchange's history, leveraging its unique business model focused on franchise stores for maternal and infant products [2][5][30]. Group 1: Business Model and Market Position - Pregnancy and Baby World operates a franchise model, selling various maternal and infant products through over 2,200 franchise stores, with revenue exceeding 1 billion yuan [4][6]. - The company primarily acts as a B2B intermediary, connecting numerous brand suppliers with franchisees, allowing it to benefit from scale advantages in procurement [15]. - The franchise model has enabled rapid expansion, with store numbers increasing from approximately 1,300 in early 2022 to over 2,200 by the end of 2024 [20]. Group 2: Financial Performance - For 2024, Pregnancy and Baby World projects revenues of 1.003 billion yuan and a net profit of 120 million yuan [6]. - The company's gross margin is significantly lower than competitors like Kidswant and Aiyingshi, with a gross margin of only 12% compared to over 20% for its competitors [15]. Group 3: Innovation and Compliance Challenges - The company has focused on software copyrights to demonstrate innovation, with over half of its 69 software copyrights registered in the past year [8][39]. - However, the rapid registration of software copyrights raises questions about the sustainability and depth of its innovation efforts, as the majority were registered in a short time frame [43][46]. - Pregnancy and Baby World's R&D expenses from 2022 to 2024 were below 1% of revenue, failing to meet the Beijing Stock Exchange's innovation investment requirements [38][34]. Group 4: Market Dynamics and Competition - The company is targeting the underdeveloped market segment, where the demand for maternal and infant products is growing, but it faces increasing competition from established players like Kidswant, which is also expanding into this market [32][28]. - The market for maternal and infant specialty stores in lower-tier cities is significantly underdeveloped, with a chain rate of only 30%, indicating potential for growth [27].