France's SMCP Strikes Deal with Reliance to Expand Into India

FILE PHOTO: People walk outside a Reliance complex which houses Jio World Plaza mall in Mumbai, India, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People walk outside a Reliance complex which houses Jio World Plaza mall in Mumbai, India, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo
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France's SMCP Strikes Deal with Reliance to Expand Into India

FILE PHOTO: People walk outside a Reliance complex which houses Jio World Plaza mall in Mumbai, India, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People walk outside a Reliance complex which houses Jio World Plaza mall in Mumbai, India, March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo

Fashion group SMCP, owner of French fashion labels Sandro and Maje, said on Thursday it signed a deal with Reliance to expand into India and will join other high-end European brands opening stores in the Jio World Plaza mall in Mumbai.
"There aren't a lot of accessible luxury fashion labels in India so we think it's time to be pioneering," said SMCP CEO Isabelle Guichot, citing India's wealth and growing population of younger generations among reasons for entering the country.
After years of testing the Indian market with outlets in luxury hotels, high-end European labels are seeking to expand their retail presence there to tap its strong economic growth and a rapid rise in the number of local millionaires, Reuters reported.
SMCP did not disclose the financial terms of its partnership with Reliance Brands, which will become the exclusive distributor in India of Sandro and Maje. Reliance plans to open around 10 stores selling the SMCP brands in the next three to five years, said Guichot, starting with the mall in Mumbai developed by Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani.
Reliance Brands, a subsidiary of Ambani's Reliance Retail Ventures, has partnership deals with dozens of high-end European and American labels, including Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Valentino and Tiffany.



Sources: Shein Weighs Sale of Less Than 10% of Company in London IPO

A mannequin with a Shein sign stands in an office of a lingerie maker at WeMet Industrial Park, in Guanyun county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo
A mannequin with a Shein sign stands in an office of a lingerie maker at WeMet Industrial Park, in Guanyun county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo
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Sources: Shein Weighs Sale of Less Than 10% of Company in London IPO

A mannequin with a Shein sign stands in an office of a lingerie maker at WeMet Industrial Park, in Guanyun county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo
A mannequin with a Shein sign stands in an office of a lingerie maker at WeMet Industrial Park, in Guanyun county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo

Fast fashion retailer Shein is considering asking UK regulators to waive listing rules that require at least 10% of its shares to be sold to the public in its planned London flotation, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
The company is exploring this option to facilitate its IPO, one of the people said, according to Reuters.
If granted, it would likely be the first time that a company in London has been allowed to list below the recent 10% rule.
Singapore-headquartered Shein, which sells $5 tops and $10 dresses mostly made in China, in June filed confidentially with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for a London listing.
However, Britain's financial regulator is taking longer than usual to approve its application, Reuters reported last week.
The people declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Shein declined to comment.
Shein was valued at $66 billion in a fundraising round last year. A 10% flotation at that valuation would make the IPO worth $6.6 billion. The biggest European IPO this year was perfume and fashion company Puig's $2.9 billion deal, according to Dealogic.
The current valuation of Shein and how much it is looking to raise via the London listing was not immediately known.
London changed its listing rules in 2021 to boost the attractiveness of the venue for companies. It cut the proportion of shares an issuer is required to float to 10% from 25%, reducing potential barriers for large IPOs, the FCA said at the time.
In July, Britain ushered in the biggest reform of company listing rules in more than three decades to help it compete more effectively with New York and the European Union for new issuers.
Shein began to explore a listing on the London Stock Exchange early this year, Reuters reported in May, citing sources. The China-founded company's original plan to list in New York was derailed after opposition from US lawmakers.
Shein is also waiting for China's securities regulator to approve its plans for a London IPO, Reuters previously reported. Its revenues are expected to hit $50 billion this year, up 55% from 2023, according to Coresight Research.