Design Holding S.p.A. – an international group headquartered in Milan, Italy, that includes high-end lighting manufacturers B&B Italia, Flos, and Louis Poulsen – has signed an agreement (via a wholly owned, newly established subsidiary) to acquire YDesign Group, LLC (“YDesign”), a U.S.-based e-commerce retailer headquartered in Walnut Creek, California.
YDesign counts 200,000 active customers (among consumers, architects, designers, and specifiers) and generated $160 million in revenues in 2020, driven by 30-percent growth in the consumer segment. YDesign operates through two websites: YLighting.com and Lumens.com.
The acquisition is part of Design Holding’s strategy to expand its geographic reach, particularly in the North American market, and strengthen the group’s digital presence and provide more services and added value.
Gabriele Del Torchio, Chairman of Design Holding, says, “We are very excited to welcome YDesign Group and the management team as part of the Design Holding family. This acquisition fits into the broader plan of establishing Design Holding as the leading innovative high-end design platform with a truly multi-channel value proposition. We have been impressed with YDesign’s reputation for trusted relationships with world-class vendor brands and its broad product assortment, operational excellence, and ability to support customers throughout the purchase process with highly trained customer sales and service teams. The preservation of YDesign’s existing organization and the continued independence of its commercial value propositions are both integral to the success of this combination. At the same time, YDesign will benefit from Design Holding’s global presence, distinctive product knowledge, and marketing experience.”
YDesign’s CEO, Laura Walsh, together with the management team will remain onboard. “We are thrilled by the many growth opportunities that lie ahead for YDesign,” Walsh comments. “Leveraging the strategic support of Design Holding’s international platform and reach, we’ll continue to strengthen our positioning as the market leader in the U.S. high-end lighting industry and our reputation as the preferred destination for architects and designers.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. YDesign Group was advised by Financo | Raymond James.
