Marcelle Partners with Thyme Maternity on a New Skincare Collection
In the age of hyper-marketed brand collaborations, it’s refreshing to see two companies forge a partnership based primarily on their respective expertise. Known for products that are gentle on sensitive skin, Montreal-based Marcelle is teaming up with Thyme Maternity, a division of Canadian womenswear retailer Reitmans, on a face and body care collection that caters to new moms and moms-to-be.
Available November 5 at Thyme stores across Canada and online, the five SKUs in the Marcelle for Thyme Maternity collection address pregnancy- and childbirth-related concerns, like skin slackening and nipple irritation due to breastfeeding. It includes a lifting and firming cream that employs peptides to help restore the bust, and a stretch-mark cream made with botanicals to improve skin elasticity. A facial moisturizer features a plum extract to help prevent melasma, a form of hormonally triggered hyperpigmentation, also known as chloasma or mask of pregnancy. The whole line is hypoallergenic and formulated without parabens, gluten or fragrance.
For 140-year-old Marcelle, partnering with a cross-country fashion retailer exposes the brand to a new customer base, one that may continue to seek out its non-maternity offerings at drugstores long after childbirth. (As The New York Times reported in 2012, customers going through major life events, like the arrival of a baby, tend to shift their shopping habits—presenting an opportunity that retailers and brands hope to capitalize on.) This also marks the second diversification for Groupe Marcelle in recent months: it launched the heritage-inspired men’s grooming brand CW Beggs and Sons in September.
