Vinted is considering selling and issuing shares before a stock market flotation

The Lithuanian group is reportedly working with the investment bank Morgan Stanley to examine the possibility of issuing 200 million euros worth of shares. A shareholding structure that could precede a stock market flotation, according to the Financial Times.

The European second-hand fashion retailer is currently considering its options for financing its expansion, which could involve selling shares and issuing new shares. However, sources in the Financial Times indicate that it is not out of the question for the current structure to be maintained until the economic situation improves.

Although neither Vinted nor Morgan Stanley wished to comment on this information, the financial movements envisaged could enable the Vilnius-based company to value itself at a level higher than the 3.5 billion euros previously achieved in May 2021.

At that time, the group had raised €250 million from funds including Accel, Burda, Insight Partners, Lightspeed and Sprints. These funds are intended to finance its expansion in Europe “and beyond”, as the company has ambitions for the US.

Vinted is Europe’s third-largest online fashion retailer, behind Germany’s Zalando and China’s Shein, according to the latest Cross-border Commerce Europe (CBE) barometer, which surveyed the 250 biggest players in the category.

Launched in 2008, the company’s strategy has historically been to attract a growing number of sellers, and eventually to break even, something that is still eluding it at present.

The Group’s strategy is underpinned by the growing popularity of the second-hand market. This appeal has been reinforced by the recent wave of inflation in the market of new products. To support a move upmarket in its offering and attract more professional sellers, the group recently deployed its product verification service in five leading markets.

In 2022, Vinted’s sales grew by 51% to €370.2 million. Over the same period, the group managed to reduce its losses from 118.2 to 47.1 million euros. With 1,502 employees, the company currently boasts 80 million members in 19 European and American markets.