Yoox goes public

Internet retailer Yoox will go public in the first half of 2009 and appointed Eidos Partners as its financial advisor. Last year Eidos Partners were the financial advisor to Yoox in relation to the planned stock market quotation (IPO) in the Milan Stock Exchange. Eidos Partners is the leading advisor on IPO's in Italy having successfully listed five companies in the last three years.

Established in 2000 by the entrepreneur Federico Marchetti, Founder and CEO, the Yoox Group operates in 53 countries. The company receives nearly four million visitors a month in its online stores and, in 2007 delivered over a million items to customers across the world. Yoox is currently owned on 'fully diluted basis' by three financial investors (58.2%), the founder Marchetti owns 8.1%, the management team through stock options 21.7% and a further thirty private investors 12.0%.

In 2007 the Group’s consolidated accounts showed a sales growth of 38.5% to Euro 90.8m (USD143 million) and operating profits tripled compared to 2006. These growth trends were continued in the first quarter of 2008. The website also runs online flagship stores on behalf of leading fashion brands including Marni, Emporio Armani, Stone Island and Valentino.

By going public, the fashion group is expecting to finance further growth and extend to new markets.