Farfetch UK Limited has filed its accounts for 2024 (only five months after its very-late 2023 numbers were released) and they show the business continuing to make a loss.
Photo: Pixabay – Photo: Public domain
Before the figures though, there needs to be an explanation: Farfetch UK isn’t the entire Farfetch operation. It’s now owned by South Koreas’s Coupang, but as the parent group doesn’t break out Farfetch figures separately, even within the limits of the information these accounts offer, it does give clues to how the wider business is progressing.
The accounts cover the 2024 calendar year, which was a big one for Farfetch as Coupang acquired it that January.
The net loss for the year was $471.4 million, which looks pretty huge but was at least a lot smaller than the 2023 net loss of $805.5 million. Do note that the company reports in US dollars having previously been listed on the New York Stock Exchange, despite it’s UK/Europe HQ.
Its loss narrowed despite revenue for the year decreasing by 12% to just under $1.078 billion.
One of the key reasons for the falling revenue was because the business took the strategic decision to “significantly” move away from its reliance on promotions in the belief that this will result in a “healthier, more sustainable trajectory” for it.
Additionally, there was the implementation of new sales models across the group, which resulted in a change in the mix of first-party and third-party revenue streams. This resulted in other group entities contracting directly with partners instead of the company itself.
Another key reason for the revenue fall in 2024 was one that was beyond its control with the overall market continuing to decline.
The company said revenue divided into $88 million in the UK (up from $73.5 million a year earlier); $271.7 million in the rest of Europe (down from $435.8 million); $247.9 million in the US (down from $259.6 million); and $470.3 million in the rest of the world (up from $456.5 million).
It added that the main reason for the smaller loss this time was due to a reduction in the impairment charge during the year. In 2023 the impairment charge had been more than half a billion dollars while in 2024 it was ‘only’ a little over $33 million.
Management also put cost reduction initiatives in place and said this helped boost its net cash position quite significantly.
Meanwhile, the UK-registered Farfetch China Ltd’s accounts have also been filed and show revenue of $63.9 million for the period, down from $116.6 million. The net loss was also narrower at $44.1 million after $113.9 million the year before.
That particular company operates the marketplace in the Greater China region.
Online fashion retailer Zalando will close its Erfurt logistics centre in Germany, which employs 2,700 people, at the end of September. The DAX-listed group, headquartered in Berlin, announced the decision. Employees are currently being informed of the plans. According to the company, the move is part of a realignment of its Europe-wide logistics network following last year’s acquisition of online fashion retailer About You.
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The Erfurt-based operating company for the site, a group subsidiary, will therefore cease operations at the end of the year. Until then, operations will continue as normal.
The company has now begun talks with the site’s works council on a reconciliation of interests and a social plan to provide prospects for those affected, said spokesperson Christian Schmidt.
The Erfurt logistics centre opened in 2012. It is the only group-owned logistics site of this size in eastern Germany, according to Schmidt. Zalando operates other large logistics centres in Giessen, in Lahr in the Black Forest, and in Mönchengladbach. In total, 14 logistics centres in seven countries will remain after the planned restructuring.
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The Italian jewellery and watchmaking group, Morellato Group, has announced the acquisition of Fossil Group’s distribution operations in Italy, whose portfolio includes the Fossil, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, Michael Kors, and Diesel brands.
Emporio Armani
The priority will be the traditional retail channel and, as part of the new arrangement, a dedicated and exclusive sales network will be established, with the aim of ensuring retailers receive a high level of service and targeted commercial support.
“We believe in the sector; we believe in the specialist retailer- the historic fulcrum of the Italian market- at the centre of our strategy for the wealth of know-how it represents and the irreplaceable role it plays in enhancing brands and in the relationship with the consumer,” said Massimo Carraro, chairman of Morellato Group, emphasising the strategic value of the acquisition.
Massimo Carraro
This transaction represents a significant step in Morellato Group’s growth journey. Today, it is Italy’s leading jewellery and watchmaking group and a global leader in watch straps. With a directly operated retail network of 660 stores, six e-commerce sites and a network of more than 7,000 wholesale partners, the company owns 14 brands- Morellato, Sector No Limits, Philip Watch, Lucien Rochat, Oui&Me, La Petite Story, Chronostar, and FAVS- alongside the retail banners Bluespirit, Christ, Brinckmann & Lange, Cleor, D’Amante, and Noélie. It also holds licences for seven brands: Karl Lagerfeld, Maserati, Chiara Ferragni, Trussardi, Esprit, Jette, and Guido Maria Kretschmer. Since 2023, Morellato Group has been certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), the organisation that defines and monitors sustainability criteria for jewellery worldwide, in line with the strictest environmental standards.
Morellato expects to close its 2025 financial year (ending on February 28, 2026) with turnover of approximately €750 million and EBITDA above 20%, up from €723 million in 2024. International markets account for around 70% of the Group’s revenues, with Italy, Germany and France among the leading markets, and excellent results in the Middle East as well.
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The German personal care and cosmetics giant is bolstering its team in the Iberian Peninsula. Beiersdorf, the owner of brands such as Nivea, Eucerin, and Liposan, has appointed Jorge Jiménez as country manager for Spain and Portugal, succeeding Ana María Morales. Jiménez will report directly to Anna Grassano-Rauch, the group’s general manager for Southern Europe.
Jorge Jiménez, Beiersdorf’s new country manager for Spain and Portugal – Beiersdorf
“It is an honour to take on this new challenge, which I approach with a strong sense of responsibility and enthusiasm. After more than twenty years at Beiersdorf, it is a pleasure to continue growing with the company, now leading Spain and Portugal. My commitment is to drive innovation, nurture talent and deliver sustainable growth that strengthens our position in Spain and Portugal,” said Jiménez.
The executive has more than two decades of experience with the German company, where he has developed his career primarily within the Nivea brand. Over the years, he has held leadership roles in marketing and digital development across emerging markets, with responsibilities spanning Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East, South-East Asia, India, Russia, and Turkey. In recent years, he served as vice-president of marketing for Nivea’s emerging markets.
In his new role heading Beiersdorf in Spain and Portugal, Jiménez will be responsible for driving business growth, accelerating innovation, and strengthening the positioning of the group’s brands in both markets. The appointment forms part of the corporate strategy “Win With Care”, through which the company aims to establish itself as the world’s leading skincare company.
Founded more than 140 years ago and headquartered in Hamburg, Beiersdorf has a portfolio that includes brands such as Nivea, Eucerin, La Prairie, Liposan, Hansaplast, Aquaphor, Coppertone and Chantecaille, as well as its subsidiary Tesa SE. In the first quarter of 2025, the company increased sales by 3.6% to €2.69 billion, driven by growth of 2.5% at Nivea and 11.4% in its dermo-cosmetics division.
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