We’ve teamed up with the finnCap Group to go ‘Inside the Deal’ in a series of virtual events that you will not want to miss. In this instalment, we’ve collected an expert panel to dive into the world of e-commerce.
Recovery through 2021 will be predominantly consumer-led and its speed and extent will be determined by the willingness to spend. Employment levels and real wage growth will be key, but consumers are unlikely to start spending heavily until confidence has recovered.
Online retailers have performed strongly, with sector tailwinds turning into a strong gale; the extent of the shift online has been extraordinary. But simply being online is not a silver bullet as securing and retaining market share is wildly competitive and can be expensive. This growth has seen a number of e-commerce companies list on the stock market in recent months, with public market investors providing the capital for the next stage of growth and an exit opportunity for Private Equity of Venture Capital investors, demonstrating the variety of funding options available for e-commerce businesses.
The pandemic has also thrown up acquisition opportunities and stronger companies, private equity and overseas buyers are ready to snap up mispriced assets. Acceleration in online sales has had an environmental impact with emissions from deliveries, freight and packaging increasing. Increasingly e-commerce retailers need to consider how to offset their impact to maintain a sustainable advantage.
Host
Contributing speakers
• Matt Goode: Head of Consumer, finnCap Capital Markets
• Henry Wells: Partner & Head of Consumer, finnCap Group
• Cheryl Calverley: Chief Executive Officer, eve sleep
• Anna Cusden: Managing Director, Look Fabulous Forever
• Kevin Dorren: Chief Executive Officer, Parsley Box
• Rob Halliday-Stein: Founder and Exec Chairman of BuIlionByPost
• Mike Hancox: Chief Executive Officer, Yodel
• Ben Wigley: Co-Founder, Big Green Smile
Here’s a breakdown of what we covered:
• Henry Wells & Matt Goode: Could you remind our viewers how finnCap Group support ambitious companies? (2:29)
• Cheryl Calverley, Anna Cusden, Kevin Dorren, Rob Halliday-Stein, Mike Hancox & Ben Wigley: Could you tell us a little more about your companies? (4:50)
• Ben Wigley, Anna Cusden, Kevin Dorren, Cheryl Calverley, Mike Hancox & Rob Halliday-Stein: What has been your biggest leadership lesson of the last year? (14:55)
• Matt Goode & Henry Wells: How do the public markets value e-commerce businesses? (20:57)
• Kevin Dorren: What is the one bit of advice you’d give to yourself pre-Parsley Box IPO? (24:25)
• Cheryl Calverley: Do you see 2020 as a ‘boom’ year for your business? (25:08)
• Anna Cusden & Kevin Dorren: Some industries such as the beauty and food industry are described as ‘recession-proof’, would you agree with this? (26:19)
• Ben Wigley, Rob Halliday-Stein, Mike Hancox, Cheryl Calverley & Anna Cusden: Has consumer behaviour changed due to the pandemic? (28:48)
• Ben Wigley, Henry Wells & Mike Hancox: How have you competed with the industry giants in your sector – both globally and in the UK? (35:28)
• Kevin Dorren, Cheryl Calverley & Rob Halliday-Stein: How does a company change post-listing and how does a listed company manage reporting to shareholders on a monthly, quarterly, annual basis? (39:14)
• Matt Goode: What is the biggest misconception about leading a listed company? (42:47)
• Kevin Dorren, Cheryl Calverley & Mike Hancox: When your e-commerce business is undergoing explosive growth, how do you keep a finger on the pulse of your brand? (43:48)
• Rob Halliday-Stein & Anna Cusden: How do you forecast when the buzzword of 2021 is ‘uncertainty’? (46:52)
• Henry Wells: I think these international opportunities be helped by good deals with global partners and acquirers. Is this something you are seeing? (50:12)
• Cheryl Calverley, Rob Halliday-Stein, Anna Cusden, Mike Hancox, Kevin Dorren & Ben Wigley: Who is the organisation that you look to for inspiration in the world of e-commerce? (51:25)
• Mike Hancox, Ben Wigley, Anna Cusden, Kevin Dorren, Rob Halliday-Stein & Cheryl Calverley: How do you ensure you are spending your marketing budget efficiently and getting a good return on that spend? (55:08)
• Henry Wells & Matt Goode: Final reflection on the session (01:00:24)
Watch the other editions of Inside the Deal here.
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