Principal Experience · Luxury Ecommerce · Joint Venture · Brand Partnerships
American Express and Vente-Privée: signing the brands behind a $50M US business.
How the US brand partnerships team for a 50/50 joint venture between American Express and France's Vente-Privée brought premium American and European labels on board quickly, built the commercial model, and helped double US sales to $50M while membership passed one million.
This case study draws on work led by a Rebar principal in a previous operating role.
The outcome
American Express and Vente-Privée, now Veepee, formed a 50/50 joint venture with about $40 million in initial investment to bring Vente-Privée's members-only flash-sale model to the United States. A Rebar principal was brought on by American Express to lead US brand partnerships, signing premium American and European labels such as Longchamp, Versace Jewelry and Maje and building the commercial model behind them. US sales doubled from $25M in 2012 to $50M in 2013, membership reached 1.05 million, and the average US order was $205, about 2.5 times the French average.
At a glance
Situation, complication, resolution
SSituation
American Express and Vente-Privée committed about $20 million each to launch Vente-Privée's members-only flash-sale model in the US, combining Amex's affluent cardmembers with Vente-Privée's platform and merchandising.
CComplication
A flash-sale business is only as strong as the brands on it. The venture had to sign premium labels quickly in a crowded US discount market, with brands wary of diluting their image, and make the economics work for every sale.
RResolution
The brand partnerships team used the American Express relationship to open doors, offered brands a premium, controlled way to reach affluent shoppers through brand-specific digital boutiques, and built the commercial model that built the economics of each sales event.
01 · The challenge
Why is signing premium brands for a flash-sale site hard?
Premium brands guard their image carefully. Selling at up to 70% off on a discount site risks training customers to wait for sales and upsetting full-price retail partners. Many US labels had already seen their products appear on cluttered, crowded flash-sale sites.
The new venture had to convince those brands that this was different: a members-only, curated experience aimed at affluent American Express cardmembers, with each brand presented in its own carefully produced digital boutique.
It also had to move fast. The venture needed a strong lineup of American and European labels at launch and a steady flow of new events afterward, each with terms that worked for the brand and for the business.
02 · The approach
How did the joint venture sign premium brands so quickly?
The team combined the strengths of both partners: American Express relationships and customer insight to open doors, and Vente-Privée's boutique-style events to reassure brands that their image would be protected.
Lead with Amex
Used American Express merchant relationships and insight into its affluent cardmember base to get meetings with premium US brands.
Sell the experience
Positioned members-only, brand-specific digital boutiques as a controlled, premium way to move inventory to high-value shoppers.
Sign the lineup
Brought on American and European labels quickly, including Longchamp, Versace Jewelry and Maje, to fill a steady calendar of events.
Build the profit model
Designed brand terms, margins and event economics so each event had clear margin targets as volume grew.
| Party | Role | What they needed | How the team delivered it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium brands | Supply partner | A way to sell excess inventory without damaging the brand | Members-only, brand-specific boutiques aimed at affluent shoppers |
| American Express | JV partner | Engagement and new value for cardmembers | Premium shopping linked to Membership Rewards |
| Vente-Privée | JV partner | US brands and volume for its proven model | A fast-growing roster of American and European labels |
| Members | Shoppers | Real access to brands they wanted, at real savings | Curated events with discounts of up to 70% |
03 · The results
What did the US venture achieve?
The venture showed that combining American Express distribution with Vente-Privée's model could attract premium brands and high-value shoppers in the US. Sales doubled in a year, membership passed one million, and US shoppers spent about 2.5 times more per order than in France.
Sales growth in one year
From $25M in 2012 to $50M in 2013.
Higher order value
$205 average US purchase versus $81 in France.
Members
1.05 million US members, 60% of them women.
The lesson
A big partner's distribution opens the door. What fills the store is the supply side, signed fast and on terms that make every sale count.
04 · How Rebar helps today
How can a company launch a new business on a bigger partner's distribution?
Joint ventures and strategic alliances let a company borrow what it cannot build quickly: an audience, a trusted brand, merchant relationships or a loyalty program. They succeed commercially when each partner's assets are put to work on day one, the supply side is signed fast, and the unit economics are designed into the partnership rather than discovered later. Rebar helps companies structure those alliances, recruit the brands and partners that make the offer credible, and build the commercial model behind it.
| Asset | Owner | Why it mattered | How it was put to work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affluent cardmember base | American Express | Instant access to high-value US shoppers | Pre-registration and member acquisition before and after launch |
| Merchant relationships and insights | American Express | Warm doors into premium US brands | Brand outreach backed by the Amex relationship and customer data |
| Flash-sale platform and operating model | Vente-Privée | A proven model for premium event sales | Brand-specific digital boutiques and event merchandising |
| Loyalty ecosystem | American Express | A reason for cardmembers to engage | Membership Rewards points redeemable for Vente-Privée gift certificates |
Map the assets
Inventory what each partner brings, from audience and data to supply and technology, and decide how each one creates value at launch.
Sign the supply side
Recruit the anchor brands or partners that make the offer credible, starting with the names that pull the rest along.
Design the economics
Build the commercial and profit model: partner terms, margin by category, acquisition costs and order economics.
Wire in loyalty and data
Connect the new business to the bigger partner's loyalty, marketing and insights so every customer is worth more over time.
05 · What carries over
What can companies learn from the American Express and Vente-Privée venture?
Borrow the audience.
A partner's customer base can deliver members from day one.
Protect the brands you recruit.
Premium suppliers sign when their image is safe.
Sign the anchors first.
Recognizable labels pull the rest of the lineup along.
Design the economics early.
Build the profit model alongside the partnership, not after.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What was the American Express and Vente-Privée joint venture?
It was a 50/50 joint venture launched in November 2011, with about $40 million in initial investment, to bring Vente-Privée's members-only flash-sale model to the US. American Express contributed its affluent cardmember base, merchant relationships, consumer insights and US distribution; Vente-Privée contributed its platform, brand relationships and merchandising.
Which brands sold on Vente-Privée in the US?
Premium American and European brands, including Longchamp, Versace Jewelry and Maje, sold through brand-specific digital boutiques with discounts of up to 70%.
How large did the US business grow?
US sales doubled from $25M in 2012 to $50M in 2013, membership reached 1.05 million, and the average US purchase was $205, compared with $81 in France, according to Fortune.
How did American Express support the venture?
Beyond distribution and merchant relationships, American Express pre-registered customers before launch and let cardmembers redeem Membership Rewards points for Vente-Privée gift certificates.
How does Rebar help with strategic alliances and joint ventures?
Rebar maps what each partner brings, recruits the anchor brands or partners that make the offer credible, designs the commercial and profit model, and connects the new business to the bigger partner's loyalty and marketing.
What does Rebar do?
Rebar is a CRO-led go-to-market firm based in Austin, Texas. It helps companies move from founder-led sales to a repeatable revenue engine, including first anchor customers, partner channels and new market entry.
This case covers early commercial growth. The US venture subsequently closed in 2014. Later venture history.