Grazia magazine group buys London-Boutiques.com

The Mondadori Group, which owns the Grazia International Network, is aiming to launch a global e-commerce platform for the Grazia brand after acquiring online boutique fashion marketplace, London-Boutiques.com. This acquisition marks the group’s first step into the retail sector as it looks

to add an e-commerce element to its business to complement its publishing house. In a statement, the group said that the London-based marketplace, which offers readers and users the possibility of selecting from a wide range of clothing and accessories from some of the British capital’s best boutiques, was the “first step” in its development plan.

Mondadori chief executive Ernesto Mauri said: "This operation is part of a project for the launch of a global e-commerce platform for the Grazia brand. A leader among international fashion-oriented magazines for its rapid development and innovative formula, Grazia is now taking a decisive step into digital.

“This acquisition is the first step towards a development plan that starts from London, the biggest European market for e-commerce fashion, and that will soon also include many of the most important trend-setting boutiques in the main cities of Italy and France. The aim is to expand also to the other countries where Grazia is published and beyond.”

Grazia network to launch online fashion store

By autumn, the plan is to integrate the London Boutiques site into a new portal, graziashop.com, which will act as an online hub for Grazia’s global community, some 17 million readers and 14 million unique users per month, while allowing them to purchase items selected by Grazia from international boutiques.

The “Grazia International Network” platform was created by Mondaroi in 2005 for the global publication of Grazia. The magazine is now published in 23 countries, in the UK and Italy, to France and Russia, as well as China, Holland, India, EAU, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Thailand, Indonesia, Germany, Bahrain, Bosnia Herzegovina, Albania, South Africa, Poland, Spain, South Korea and Mexico. The publications translate into a total monthly circulation of 8 million copies.

London-Boutiques.com was launched in 2012 by entrepreneur Tina Lake and features more than 200 womenswear and lifestyle brands from more than 35 independent retailers across the capital. It also includes a dedicated editorial platform that blogs about fashion and what to do in London. There has been no word on how many of the team will be kept on for the new platform.

Image: Grazia UK