For this week’s installment of Eye on E-Commerce, we take a closer look at Farfetch, an online marketplace selling the inventories from high-end boutiques all around the world. Established in 2008 by founder and CEO José Neves, the shopping site carries merchandise from 250 independent retailers globally.
Farfetch recently received $20 million in funding from Condé Nast International, the publisher’s largest e-commerce investment to date. The funding allows Farfetch to expand into new markets including: Germany, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Plans also include launching the site in Japanese and possibly in Mandarin, Korean and Spanish.
The current agreement keeps the two companies operating separately but with content and commerce at the heart of the deal, one can’t help but wonder how, or if, Condé Nast will utilize Farfetch online or in print. Combining the editorial expertise of the Condé Nast group with the global e-commerce reach of Farfetch remains to be seen and we will be watching.
