Online firms lead UK listing boom for retailers
An online shopping boom has led to a rise in the number of retailers listing on the UK stock market this year.
Some 10 retailers floated this year – including furniture-seller Made and greetings card firm Moonpig – compared to just three in the past three years.
Eight out of ten firms were online firms, according to an analysis from international law firm RPC.
Shoppers have continued to order online despite the reopening of bricks and mortar stores as Covid restrictions lifted last year.
Other retailers to go public in the past year include Procook, Marks Electrical, Devolver Digital, MusicMagpie, CMO, Seraphine, Victorian Plumbing and Dr. Martens.
Companies have delayed listing plans during the pandemic due to market uncertainty.
Karen Hendy, co-head of retail at RPC, said: “The unlocking of the IPO market in 2021 for retailers is great news. It dramatically increases the funding options for retailers with growth ambitions.
“We are expecting to see more new retail concepts expand into the post-Covid landscape and having a wider choice of sources of capital will help that rollout.”
The total number of companies listing in the UK also accelerated, jumping 270 per cent, from 66 to 180.