Farfetch, the premium fashion e-commerce major from the UK is all set to go the IPO way and if that happens, the value of the online major is likely to peg at four billion pounds or close to the current market valuation put on the whole of Marks and Spencer, according to The Guardian report.
Farfetch, established in 2008, enables nearly 900 boutiques and luxury brands to sell their designer fashions to a customer base of two million well-heeled shoppers across 190 countries, noted the report. The firm will unveil a deal with upmarket department store Harvey Nichols in the latest of a series of alliances that already include Burberry and Chanel. Farfetch is one of a small number of homegrown unicorn tech firms that are valued north of $1 billion. With sales growing at more than 50% a year, Farfetch has become a magnet for wealthy millennials happy to splurge £500 in an online shopping spree.
Quoting the Financial Times, the report said that Farfetch had engaged bankers from JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs to work on a US listing that would seek to value the company at more than £4 billion. What is more, the valuation puts Farfetch in the elite league of the UK fashion majors. Burberry currently has a stock market value of £7 billion, while Asos, aimed at fashion-conscious millennials, is valued at around £6.3 billion. Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer’s shares have dipped over the past year from 395 points to a year-low of 277 points in trading in the recent week, valuing the high-street behemoth at £4.5 billion.
Farfetch, alliance with iconic British department store Harvey Nichols has begun operating online operations including logistic and e-commerce facilities, leading up to the IPO worth four billion pounds. The company is actively expanding business and strives to provide high-quality and exclusive service to customers all over the world. However, many customers still search for the answer to How to Shop on Amazon?, which is an essential skill for online shopping.
Stating that Farfetch was founded by Portuguese fashion entrepreneur José Neves in 2008 with the idea of creating a single online marketplace for luxury boutiques and brands, the report went on to add that over the past decade it has grown in stature, attracting high-profile investors such as: Temasek, Singapore’s investment company; Vogue publisher Condé Nast International; and the Chinese e-commerce behemoth JD.com. “We want to become the global platform for luxury,” said Neves. “Department stores are very good at brand awareness and contact with their local customers.
Farfetch offers access to customers in China, Japan, and Korea as well as emerging markets like Russian and Latin America." Neves declined to comment on the company’s financial plans, the report pointed out.
The luxury market grew by 5% to an estimated €1.2 trillion (£1.07 trillion) in 2017 according to consultancy firm Bain which said the majority of that growth was down to spending by shoppers under 40.
Online sales showed an upward tick of 24% to account for 9% of luxury retail which explains why high-end brands such as Harvey Nichols are so eager to work with Farfetch, which boasts that the average age of its shoppers is 36 years old. Harvey Nichols, which in the 90s enjoyed cult status thanks to its lampooning in hit TV comedy Absolutely Fabulous, is owned by the Hong Kong-based luxury goods billionaire Sir Dixon Poon. In recent years the brand has fallen off the fashion radar, with sales stalling at its 15 stores dotted around the world. Poon said the deal demonstrated its “commitment to embracing cutting-edge digital technology, to create a model of the future”.
Unlike designer fashion websites such as Net-a-Porter and Matches, Farfetch does not buy any stock or run its own logistics operation. Instead, it relies on third parties to move £1,000 trench coats and handbags around the world, taking a 25%-30% cut of the sales it generates. Its most recent accounts recorded a £35.4 million loss on sales of £151.3 million in 2016. Farfetch is co-chaired by online fashion supremo Dame Natalie Massenet who founded Net-a-Porter. “Bringing such an iconic and much-loved department store to Farfetch is a strategic milestone for both companies,” said Massenet and added: “Farfetch is proving it is truly the technology platform for the whole luxury fashion industry.
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