Net-a-Porter launches dedicated charity section onsite

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 2, 2018

As more and more surveys show that consumers expect the retailers they buy from to do some good in the world, it’s interesting that YNAP’s luxury Net-a-Porter women’s website has launched a dedicated area onsite to celebrate its partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

It said that 20% of the profits for each product will be going to the charity that grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses in the UK.

The selection consists of 16 pieces from fine jewellery designers Carolina Bucci, Diane Kordas, Maria Tash, Sydney Evan, Jennifer Meyer, Jemma Wyne, Foundrae and Andrea Fohrman. And each piece takes inspiration from the Make-A-Wish logo and star. Items include 18-karat white gold diamond earrings, moon and star charms, a rose gold diamond and sapphire star pendant necklace and double star studs.

The collection is available on the site until October 7 and with prices ranging from £250 for that pair of star studs up to £7,710 for a gold and diamond bracelet, the initiative should be able to generate significant sums for the charity. 

To add to this and to mark the launch, Net-a-Porter/Mr Porter president Alison Loehnis and Batia Ofer, chair of The Art of Wishes and Patron at Make-A-Wish, are hosting a private fundraising lunch to coincide with the start of Frieze Week. It includes a raffle for an original piece by Tracey Emin, inspired by a wish from a Make-A-Wish child. There will also be a silent auction where guests will be able to place bids via iPads or phones for artworks, exclusive fashion and beauty packages, luxury holidays and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. 

The event reflects a general move by Net-a-Porter and its luxury rivals to offer high-spending customers more exclusive one-off experiences. One aspect of this is the proliferation of luxury VIP physical spaces being opened by e-tailers, as well as the move towards more special events designed to encourage top spenders to spend even more.

But while those are purely commercial initiatives, combining the e-tailer’s talent for publicity and unparalleled reach among luxury shoppers to support a charity is an important move that also reflects the changing nature of luxury retail today.