While cash-strapped e-tailers Farfetch and Matches narrowly avoided collapse this week, both inking sales to new owners, online luxury’s way forward remains unclear.

The sale sees owner Apax Partners take a heavy loss on the British e-tailer, recently rebranded simply Matches, amid a broader meltdown in the luxury e-commerce space.

Reports of financial strain at Farfetch amid a stalled deal with YNAP has driven confidence in multi-brand e-commerce to all-time lows. With value propositions eroding and investment drying up, a way forward remains unclear.

This week, Ssense said it laid off 138 workers, and MatchesFashion received a $73 million cash injection from its shareholder. From more niche players to giants like Farfetch, the pressure remains high for luxury e-tailers.

Luxury brands and retailers’ business models and channel strategies are undergoing deep shifts, both online and off, as they adjust to new customer behaviours, reports The State of Fashion 2023.

From Gap to Chanel, big fashion brands are shaking up the top job, as the industry puts some of its Covid-era problems behind it and prepares for a new set of challenges, including an economic downturn.

Beighton is the fourth CEO to run the luxury e-tailer in less than five years as its private equity owners struggle to improve performance.

Pellicano group CEO and creative director Marie-Louise Sciò has turned her family’s hospitality business into a name with international caché, partnering with the likes of Birkenstock and Matchesfashion. Now, the group is an attractive acquisition target.