Prenatal
Artsana Group · France
Prenatal (written Prénatal in France) is a maternity, baby and children's retailer that began in France in 1947 and has operated in Italy since 1963. Its Italian operating company is Prenatal S.p.A. in Milan, and Prenatal Retail Group is reported as controlled by Artsana Group, the owner of Chicco. It matters as one of the best known specialist baby and maternity retail chains in southern Europe.
| Founded | 1947, in France |
|---|---|
| Italian operations | Since 1963, first store in Milan |
| Italian operating company | Prenatal S.p.A., Milan |
| Owner | Artsana Group (via Prenatal Retail Group) |
| Italian stores | 169 points of sale (2023) |
| Website | prenatal.com |
What is Prenatal?
Prenatal is a specialist retailer for expectant and new parents and for children. Its Italian website states that the brand was born in France in 1947 and opened its first Italian store in Milan in 1963. In 2023 it marked 60 years in Italy and reported 169 points of sale there. The Italian operating company named in the site footer is Prenatal S.p.A., based in Milan.
Products and positioning
The offer combines third party childcare brands with Prenatal's own clothing line. The own line covers maternity wear for expectant and new mothers as well as clothing for children aged 0 to 10. Categories listed on the site include:
- Maternity and children's fashion
- Nursery products and furniture
- Strollers, car seats and travel
- Toys, baby food, feeding and hygiene
Business model and distribution
Prenatal is a vertically integrated retailer: it sells through its own stores and its online shop rather than mainly through wholesale partners. It adds services around the product, including a baby registry (Lista Nascita), gift cards, in store pickup, preparation meetings for expectant mothers called Nascere Insieme, and a loyalty card named Prénatal Lover. The brand also appears in other markets through Prénatal branded sites for Albania, Armenia, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Turkmenistan.
Ownership
A company database entry for Prenatal Retail Group states that Artsana Group acquired it in July 2017, and cites a May 2025 Italian press report that the company is controlled by Artsana, which is in turn controlled by Investindustrial. The same entry gives conflicting headquarters information, so the group's exact corporate base should be treated as unverified.
Why it matters
Prenatal links retail, services and own label product around the life stage of pregnancy and early childhood. Together with Chicco within the Artsana universe, it shows how childcare and baby retail has consolidated around a small number of specialist groups.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Prenatal?
Prenatal Retail Group is reported to have been acquired by Artsana Group in July 2017 and to be controlled by Artsana today. Artsana is the group behind Chicco.
Where is Prenatal from?
Prenatal was founded in France in 1947 and opened its first Italian store in Milan in 1963. The Italian company, Prenatal S.p.A., is based in Milan.