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BuyVIP
Online shopping club offering discounts for members on fashion and lifestyle brands- acquired by Amazon
About BuyVIP
BuyVIP emerged in 2006 as a pioneering force in the European e-commerce sector, co-founded by Spanish entrepreneurs Gustavo García Brusilovsky and José Luis Vallejo. Brusilovsky, with a diverse background in biochemistry, IT, and marketing, including roles at major corporations like IBM, brought a unique blend of B2B and B2C marketing expertise to the venture. This experience proved crucial in persuading major brands to partner with the unproven online platform. The company established itself as a members-only online retail club, specializing in flash sales of luxury fashion and lifestyle products at significant discounts.
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The business model centered on offering limited-time sales events to its members, creating a sense of urgency that drove purchases. This strategy allowed BuyVIP to manage inventory effectively and provide a discreet channel for high-end brands like Calvin Klein, Fendi, and Levi's to sell excess stock. The company grew rapidly, expanding its operations across Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, and Portugal, and amassing a membership base of over six million. Revenue was generated directly from the sale of these discounted goods. The model's success was evident when the company achieved profitability in the second quarter of 2010.
A significant milestone occurred in October 2010 when Amazon acquired BuyVIP for approximately €70 million, a landmark transaction in the Spanish tech industry at the time. The acquisition was intended to complement Amazon's European retail business and provide its customers with a new avenue for discovering products. Following the acquisition, Brusilovsky remained as CEO until 2012 before moving on to other entrepreneurial ventures, including founding the SaaS platform Klikin and taking on a role as GM for Deliveroo Spain. Despite initial optimism, BuyVIP struggled with profitability under Amazon's ownership. In April 2017, Amazon announced the closure of BuyVIP, citing the unsustainability of the flash sales model. The website was shut down, and employees were integrated into other roles within Amazon.
At a glance
- Status
- Acquired
- Founded
- 2006
- Headquarters
- Madrid, Spain
- Open positions
- None listed
- Dealroom signal
- 57.3/100
- Industry
- Fashion, Marketing
- Sector
- eCommerce & Marketplaces, Shopping, Social Commerce, Group Buying, Performance Management, Deal Comparison, Discount, Pay Per Result, Became Thoroughbred as Subsidiary
- Business model
- Marketplace & ecommerce
- Client focus
- b2c
Latest news
Press, funding announcements and product moves mentioning BuyVIP.
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACQUISITION✓Exit | Oct 2010 | $97M | $97M | Amazon | — |
| SERIES C✓Equity / VC | Apr 2009 | $20M | $80M | Active Venture Partners · Kennet Partners | — |
Financials
Revenue, earnings and other financial measures where available. Years marked “E” are estimates.
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for BuyVIP is 190 monthly website visits, down 5% over the last three months.
Similar companies
Company identity and context are open; selected comparison metrics preview what is available on the platform.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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AldoorBuy your favourite products at huge discounts |
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husklyeCommerce & Marketplaces |
Netherlands | Closed |
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Series A2 investors entered at this stage
3i Group
Gruner + Jahr
Series B and later2 investors entered at this stage
Kennet Partners
Active Venture Partners
Other known investors5 additional known investors
Amazon
Christopher Pommerening
Cipio Partners
Global Founders Capital
Mountain Partners
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about BuyVIP on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…
Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
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