Gucci and Off-White top The RealReal’s holiday wishlist

On 18 October, retailer Hema announced that it was in talks with Boekhoorn to take over the chain, including debts, from the London-based Lion Capital, for an undisclosed amount. According to the ACM, the acquisition of the retailer will not result in competition problems for the Dutch market.Local media report that the new owner already took its first steps to reduce Hema’s debt. Following the acquisition, €100 million in loans were repaid and €40 million were put in the retailer’s own capital.

In addition to reducing the debt, Hema said earlier that together with Boekhoorn it will focus on further investments in the Dutch market, online growth, international expansion and the improvement of its profitability in the coming years. In order to develop itself into a global b…

Amazon received a summons issued by India’s Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Future Group, an Amazon spokesperson told Reuters on Sunday.”As we have just received the summons, we are examining it and will respond within the given time frame,” the spokesperson said.

The Enforcement Directorate has been investigating whether there were any violations of foreign investment laws when Amazon made a $200 million investment in Future’s gift voucher unit, Future Coupons, in 2019. The deal is at the heart of ongoing legal disputes between the two firms.At least two senior Future Group executives have been summoned to appear before the Enforcement Directorate in the week of Dec. 6, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, declining to be named as the matter w…

Average total spending predictions clocked in at $525, a 20 percent increase from last year’s figure of $430.The survey of consumer spending intentions and trends also found that online retailers and mass merchant stores hold spots as the top two shopping destinations, with an annually growing lead. They are followed by department stores and off-price retailers.

In addition, the survey found that the number of shoppers buying on their phones has increased from 59 percent to 67 percent, but most online shoppers still plan to make purchases via their computers. Two thirds of those polled said they research gifts online before buying. Despite the numbers, survey experts say this is not the time for brands to underestimate the importance of physical interaction with shoppers. “Alt…

“With jewellery, they can search for the whole of eternity!” quipped an industry expert, summing up the growing attraction of a segment that sits in a unique position in the world of luxury products. Significant in this respect are the transformations that occurred in the last few years in Paris in rue de la Paix and place Vendôme, jewellery’s iconic stronghold. Several leading brands have upgraded their presence there, resulting in a facelift to the palace that hosts Boucheron, the opening of Gucci’s fine jewellery boutique, and the renovations and upgrades already carried out or planned by many labels, like Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Bulgari and Chopard, all systematically involving extensions in the stores’ retail area. After a slow-down in Paris and elsewhere in Europ…

The Paris based luxury group, whose single largest fashion house is the Florentine-born Gucci, will contribute to the renovation of the lighting system in the courtyard of Palazzo Vecchio. The main part of the renovation will be the famed Michelozzo courtyard, designed in 1453 and extensively transformed and embellished in the following century by Giorgio Vasari, the artist and single most-read chronicler of the greatest Renaissance artists. The renovation begins this spring and will continue through 2021.“Exactly one year ago, when I was awarded the Fiorino d’Oro, I reiterated that Florence and Tuscany hold a particular significance for me and for the Group,” affirmed François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering. “Precisely for this reason, we genuinely wanted to help th…