THE co-founders of Boohoo have sold shares worth £142.5 million in the British online fashion retailer, a regulatory filing showed on Thursday (5).
Mahmud Kamani, 55, and Carol Kane, 53, between them sold 4.3 per cent of Boohoo's equity through a placing to institutional investors, reducing their combined holding to 15.8 per cent.
The Manchester-based company's executive chairman, Kamani, sold 35 million shares at 285 pence each, whereas, Kane, an executive director, sold 15 million shares at the same price.
With the latest sell-off, Kamani has reduced his stake to 13.1 per cent, while Kane's is down to 2.7 per cent.
The placing was managed by Zeus Capital and Jefferies.
Founded in 2006, Boohoo expanded its operations quickly, listing its shares in 2014.
It acquired the PrettyLittleThing and Nasty Gal brands in 2017 targeting the younger generation with the latest fashion trends on various online platforms.
Shares in Boohoo, jumped 84 per cent so far this year, giving a market capitalisation of £3.42 billion.
In a trading update, the fashion retailer said: “Our new brands, Karen Millen, Coast, and MissPap have been successfully integrated on to our platform. The initial ranges have been very well received, and we continue to broaden our product ranges as we progress our multi-brand strategy.”
According to market analysts, Boohoo and other online firms are growing at the expense of traditional shopping groups such as Marks & Spencer, whose equity value has dropped to £3.7bn
Boohoo is the booming online fashion retailer whereas other fashion retailers are struggling to survive amid tough market conditions in the UK.
The company's top executives have decided not to sell any more stock for 18 months.
According to the company sources, the sales were intended to help with their personal financial planning.
In September, the fashion retailer crossed the £1bn mark in revenue for the first time.
Shein’s UK sales hit £2.05bn in 2024, up 32.3 per cent year-on-year, driven by younger shoppers.
The retailer benefits from import tax loopholes unavailable to high street rivals.
Faces mounting criticism over labour practices and sustainability as it eyes a London listing.
Tax edge drives growth
Chinese fashion giant Shein is transforming Britain’s online clothing market, capturing a third of women aged 16 to 24 while benefiting from tax breaks unavailable to high street rivals.
The fast-fashion retailer’s UK sales surged 32.3 per cent to £2.05bn in 2024, according to company filings, with pre-tax profits rising to £38.3m from £24.4m the previous year. The growth comes as established players like Asos struggle in an increasingly competitive landscape where young consumers prioritise value above all else.
Shein has partly benefited from a tax break on import duty for goods worth less than £135 sent directly to consumers, The rule lets overseas sellers send low-value goods to the UK tax-free, disadvantaging local businesses.
“The growth of Shein and Temu is a huge factor,” said Tamara Sender Ceron, associate director of fashion retail research at Mintel told The Guardian. “It is particularly successful among younger shoppers. It is also a threat to other fashion retailers such as Primark and H&M because of its ultra-low price model that nobody can compete with. It’s changed the market.
"The market dynamics reflect broader shifts in consumer behaviour. Online fashion sales reached £34bn last year, up 3 per cent, according to Mintel, but shoppers have become more cautious as disposable incomes shrink, and fashion competes with holidays, festivals, and streaming services for wallet share.
Scrutiny builds
Despite its commercial success, Shein faces mounting scrutiny. The company filed initial paperwork last June for a potential London Stock Exchange listing, but critics question its labour practices and environmental impact.
"Regardless of whether Shein gets listed on the London Stock Exchange, no company doing business in the UK should be allowed to play fast and loose with human rights anywhere in their global supply chains,” said Peter Frankental, economic affairs programme director at Amnesty International UK to BBC.
The “de minimis” rule has drawn renewed attention after US President Donald Trump scrapped a similar measure during his trade war with China.
Shein’s UK operation now employs 91 people across offices in Kings Cross and Manchester, focusing primarily on local market expertise.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.