Kering to take e-commerce in-house by 2020

Luxury fashion house Kering has announced it is to bring its e-commerce entirely in-house by 2020.

The company that owns brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga will leverage its in-house technology and operations team to fully internalise the e-commerce activities currently handled through its joint venture with YOOX Net-A-Porter (YNAP).

YNAP operates the e-commerce sites of seven of Kering’s brands and will continue to sell products from the luxury house even after Kering has taken full control of its own operations.

The news comes as LVMH, owner of Louis Vuitton, also launched its own multi-brand website known as 24 Sevres last year.

Kering also announced that it has created a data science team to help “improve the service provided to the clients of Kering’s houses by making the best use of the available data”.

Kering’s chief client and digital officer Grégory Boutté said: “These exciting new initiatives have been designed to meet – and exceed – the needs of our houses’ customers and to ensure we continue to offer them an exceptional experience across all channels in a fast-changing global market.

“These opportunities have been made possible by the experience and know-how that Kering has gained over the years, notably through its successful joint venture with YNAP. We will continue to work with them post-transition and to enjoy a fruitful relationship.”