Daily LInks
1. Luxury e-commerce stares down consolidation. The era of low-cost capital and chasing growth is past, and there’s more of an emphasis on building a sustainable business model, says Nicolas Llinas, a partner in Boston Consulting Group’s luxury, fashion and beauty practice. – Read More on Axios
2. Farfetch, Now Matches: Investors Look for Deals Amid Luxury eCommerce Sites. January 2023 marked a bold investment move, with Apax injecting £60 million into Matches — its most significant investment in the company since the acquisition. – Read More on PYMNTS
3. RETRO READ: Farfetch’s $1.1 Billion Deal with Richemont, Alibaba Exemplifies Some Existing Trends in Luxury. Beyond the focus on China, the headline-making deal plays to two existing but ever-accelerating trends in fashion/luxury in light of the COVID-19 pandemic: the rampant adoption of e-commerce by notoriously digitally-averse high fashion and luxury brands, and an enduring consolidation of players in the upper echelon of the industry. – Read More on TFL
4. Return Policies Have Gotten More Annoying This Holiday Season. Returns are expensive for online retailers. Companies charge return fees to offset shipping and labor costs, said David Morin, vice president of customer strategy at Narvar. The fees are also an attempt to reduce customer returns, he said. – Read More on WSJ
5. ESG Is Under Attack. How Should Your Company Respond? Leaders need to better understand exactly how ESG or sustainability are being used as a critique, and whether those doing the critiquing are doing so in good faith. – Read More on HBR
6. Bustling City Stores Are Hurting Luxury Middlemen. Fashion houses see shoppers flock to their websites and physical stores while third-party online platforms struggle. – Read More on Bloomberg
