Entrepreneur and founder of MATCHESFASHION.COM From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomas Watson Chapman OBE (born June 1963[1]) is a British entrepreneur and investor.[2]
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Tom Chapman OBE | |
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| Born | Thomas Watson Chapman June 1963 (age 61) Wimbledon, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Businessperson, entrepreneur, investor |
| Known for | Co-founder of MATCHESFASHION.COM |
| Spouse | Ruth Chapman |
He co-founded luxury fashion online retailer Matchesfashion.com in 1987 and served as the company's co-CEO until 2015.[3] In 2017, Matches was acquired by Apax Partners in a deal that valued the company at $1 billion.[4]
Since 2017, he has been an early-stage investor with an investment portfolio that spans several industries including technology, healthcare, and fashion.[5][2]
Born in Wimbledon, Chapman studied hotel and hospitality management before opening an independent fashion outlet.[6]
In 1987, Chapman founded Matchesfasion.com as a single store in Wimbledon Village.[3] At the age of 21, Chapman met Ruth Chapman and convinced her to join the business.[7] By 2011 MATCHESFASHION.COM was the largest independent fashion retailer in London with 14 stores.[3]
In 2007, the company was one of the first luxury brands to go online.[8] Chapman led the company's digital strategy and turned the business into a multi-channel e-commerce retailer.[9][10]
Chapman said the original motivation for launching the website was to provide a single view of the stock as well as build a customer database and was initially surprised by the success of the website as a sales tool.[9] From the launch of the website, the business grew at up to 100 percent per year.[9] As of 2018, the company stocks over 450 brands shipping to 176 countries, making 95 percent of sales online and 85 percent internationally.[11]
In 2011, Chapman launched No. 23, a townhouse dedicated to private shopping to complement online retail.[12] In 2012, the company raised £20 million in venture capital from SEP and Highland Capital Partners at a valuation of £76 million.[13] In 2013, Chapman rebranded all Matches' physical stores MATCHESFASHION.COM to "unify" the brand.[14][8]
In 2016, the company launched 90-minute delivery to shoppers in London.[11] In 2018, the business opened 5 Carlos Place, a five-storey townhouse combining luxury private shopping in a home environment with a broadcasting hub and events space.[15] Chapman was also responsible for introducing iPads into the company's stores, which accounted for more than 50 percent of in-store sales.[8]
In 2015, Chapman stepped down as joint chief executive to become joint chairman.[3]
Matchesfashion.com was acquired by Apax Partners in 2017.[16] Chapman retains a minority stake in the business and remains on the company board.[7][17]
Since 2017, Chapman has invested in multiple startups across a wide range industries in the UK and USA through his family office, the Chapman Office.[5][18]
Chapman has invested in Seattle-based trucking start-up Convoy; skincare brand Heyday; fashion brand Universal Standard; baby food business Cerebelly; finance company IPSX; consumer personal care 'by Humankind'; feminine hygiene brand OHNE, personal male grooming company Hawthorne; and health-tech company Huma.[19][5][2] Chapman has also invested in Caliva, Plena and Harvest Health & Recreation.[5][2]
In February 2020, Chapman invested in CDLP, a Swedish menswear brand.[20] In the same year, he also invested in AI-driven sports app Second Spectrum; computer gaming platform Robin Games; training finance company Forte and customer analytics platform Contentsquare.[18]
Married to Ruth Chapman, the couple have three children.[21] They have properties in London and Los Angeles, and have two dogs.[22][2]
Chapman collects 20th-century furniture, art and antiques.[8]
In 2017, Tom Chapman received the Drapers Lifetime Achievement Award.[23] In 2018, Chapman was inducted into the Business of Fashion Hall of Fame.[3]
Tom and Ruth Chapman were both appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to the international fashion retail industry.[24]
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