PARIS, France — Jimmy Choo, the luxury shoemaker owned by JAB Holdings, may begin its initial public offering in London as soon as this month amid rising demand for expensive footwear, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

JAB could announce plans to sell a 25 percent stake in the maker of $1,995 Lust peep-toe sandals, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential.

The company has hired Bank of America Corp. to manage the sale and is seeking a valuation of about $1 billion, the people said. HSBC Holdings Plc has also been hired, one of the people said. No final decision has been made and JAB may decide not to proceed with an IPO, they said.

Jimmy Choo, which was acquired by private-equity investors three times before being bought by JAB in 2011, sells women’s and men’s shoes, handbags and accessories in more than 100 stores around the world. Its eponymous founder left the design house in 2001.

Jimmy Choo would follow luxury companies including Moncler SpA, Brunello Cucinelli SpA and Salvatore Ferragamo SpA in selling a stake on the stock market to fund growth.

Shares in Moncler advanced 47 percent on the Italian skiwear maker’s first day of trading in December. Cucinelli, a maker of $3,195 cashmere cardigans, and Ferragamo, which sells $675 patent-leather platform heels, have more than doubled since they were listed in Milan in 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Initial public offerings of retail businesses have surged in London this year. Discount online clothier Boohoo.com Plc rose 40 percent on its first day of trading on March 14. Pets at Home Group Plc and Poundland Group Plc, a discount retailer, have also sold shares to the public this year.

JAB reorganized its business in June, bringing brands including Jimmy Choo and jacket-maker Belstaff under direct management in a move it said reflected an increasing commitment to luxury goods.

Luxury consumption is shifting as supply increases. While the world's largest luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci are struggling to reconcile their global presence with increasing demand for exclusivity, others such as Yves Saint Laurent and and shoemaker Corthay are benefiting from being less widely distributed.

Representatives for Bank of America, JAB Holdings, Jimmy Choo and HSBC did not immediately respond to e-mail and telephone requests for comment.

By Andrew Roberts, Ruth David; editors: Elizabeth Fournier, Celeste Perri, Paul Jarvis.