Skip to main content
BoF Logo

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Farfetch Investors Form Group to Oppose Coupang Acquisition

A newly formed group of institutional investors with a massive stake in Farfetch is requesting immediate pay back on the company’s debts amid fear that a deal with Coupang will further erode the e-tailer’s value.
Two models in a Farfetch image.
Farfetch's investors are requesting immediate payback of debts and pushing back on its deal with Coupang. (Farfetech)

Farfetch’s financial stress continues only a month after finding its white knight.

A group of investors, called the 2027 Ad Hoc Group, formed this month to stop South Korean e-commerce firm Coupang’s forthcoming acquisition of the embattled luxury e-tailer.

That deal, which was announced last December and included a $500 million bridge loan to keep Farfetch afloat, is not yet finalised. It also wiped out all equity holders, including company employees. The group, which holds more than 50 percent of Farfetch’s convertible notes that are due in 2027, is requesting that Farfetch pay back those debts in full immediately.

The Ad Hoc Group group has expressed fear that Farfetch is locked into its deal with Coupang and the e-tailer’s value will plummet under the South Korean firm’s ownership. The terms of Coupang’s bridge loan requires any competing bidder to foot a $1 billion fee and a $20 million termination fee.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Ad Hoc Group also accused Farfetch of a lack of transparency on its cash troubles. Last August, Farfetch projected it would end 2023 with $800 million in cash but was frantically seeking a bailout four months later. Farfetch, which went public in 2018, ended 2023 with around $2.8 billion in financial obligations that include convertible notes, according to estimates from Bernstein.

Other backers quickly came to grips with their losses. In a December statement, Richemont said it did not expect $300 million in loans it had issued to Farfetch to be repaid.

Farfetch declined to comment. Coupang did not respond to a request for comment.

Further Reading

Farfetch Found Its White Knight. What’s Next?

The South Korean e-commerce firm Coupang has saved Farfetch from potential bankruptcy, and could use its logistical and marketing might to solve some of the luxury e-tailer’s seemingly intractable problems. But “everything stores” have a spotty track record when it comes to high-end retail.

Farfetch Sold to South Korea’s Coupang

The deal provides the online luxury giant with $500 million in emergency funding. A complex transaction that would have seen Farfetch acquire a 47.5 percent stake in Yoox-Net-a-Porter from Richemont is dead.

About the author
Malique Morris
Malique Morris

Malique Morris is Direct-to-Consumer Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. He is based in New York and covers digital-native brands and shifts in the online shopping industry.

© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Retail
Analysis and advice from the front lines of the retail transformation.

Brands Owed Millions After Matchesfashion Collapse

Designer brands including Gucci and Anya Hindmarch have been left millions of pounds out of pocket and some customers will not get refunds after the online fashion site collapsed owing more than £210m last month.


Op-Ed | How Long Can Adidas Surf the ‘Terrace’ Trend?

As a push to maximise sales of its popular Samba model starts to weigh on its desirability, the German sportswear giant is betting on other retro sneaker styles to tap surging demand for the 1980s ‘Terrace’ look. But fashion cycles come and go, cautions Andrea Felsted.


How Rent the Runway Came Back From the Brink

The rental platform saw its stock soar last week after predicting it would hit a key profitability metric this year. A new marketing push and more robust inventory are the key to unlocking elusive growth, CEO Jenn Hyman tells BoF.


view more

Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest

The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
The Business of Beauty Global Awards - Deadline 30 April 2024
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.
The Business of Beauty Global Awards - Deadline 30 April 2024