SKYdeals Selected for LVMH Startup Accelerator
SKYdeals is looking to expand its network of luxury brand partnerships and shake up the travel retail market.
In-flight shopping platform and APEX 2019 Newcomer of the Year SKYdeals is participating in the latest round of LVMH’s six-month startup accelerator, which began on September 5 at Paris-based startup campus Station F. Called La Maison des Startups, the program is designed to encourage collaboration between LVMH’s 70 Maisons (LVMH calls its brands houses, or “maisons” in French) and startups that have potential in the luxury industry.
SKYdeals’ platform, which launched on Air France in January 2019, allows brands to offer promotions to passengers who are connected to in-flight Wi-Fi. Types of promotions include flash sales that are valid only at specific times during flights, flyover offers that are triggered according to the region or country being flown over, real-time auctions that last for the duration of a flight and group buying offers. Customers can choose to pick up their purchase at the airport upon arrival, or have it mailed to their home address.
SKYdeals is currently working with 60 brands, and is looking to create new partnerships with LVMH’s Maisons, which include Rimowa, Veuve Clicquot, Christian Dior, Sephora and travel retail giant DFS.
“Skydeals is much more than an inflight e-commerce platform, we are always looking to innovate and reinvent the travel retail market … But innovation requires taking risks,” said Julien Sivan, cofounder and CEO of SKYdeals. “[La Maison des Startups] goes beyond simple commercial agreements, it was created to innovate by helping brands to take risks along with startups.”
According to LVMH’s website, La Maison des Startups involves workshops to familiarize the participating companies with challenges facing the luxury industry. The startups are also given regular opportunities to present their progress to representatives of LVMH Maisons.
“Working with luxury brands is a real proof of excellence and reliability for a startup,” Sivan Said.
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