When MyTheresa and Saks.com IPO

eCommerce
Written By Rick Watson

MyTheresa filed for an IPO - a luxury fashion platform that has achieved growth even after being acquired by Neiman Marcus. Like clockwork, investors need to get something for this asset.

Is it any wonder that a few days later Hudson's Bay announced plans for a Saks (dot) com IPO?

We are in a cyclical upswing for any compelling digital presence in growth mode. Particularly ones trapped inside larger debt-ridden entities.

There are a couple of big questions:

  • Seems like Saks online offering trajectory is very different than MyTheresa that was an acquisition and never really part of Neiman Marcus. Whatever happened to omnichannel?

  • I expect those differences to play a major role in their valuation.

  • Does this say anything about Amazon's Luxury Fashion plans?

  • I wonder if HBC is just looking for a buyer for Saks at this point, rather than fully expecting the website to IPO.

Finally, If large omnichannel retailers can just "IPO their websites", we truly are back to 1999-level hype.

What's next? Target and Walmart IPO their websites? Lowes? Home Depot?

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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