Y Ventures lodges prospectus for Catalist listing

Singapore

A HOMEGROWN company that sells workaday consumer goods, such as clocks, home décor items and books, online has lodged a preliminary offer document to list on the Singapore Exchange's Catalist board.

Founded in 2003, Y Ventures Group is a data analytics-driven, e-commerce retailer and distributor of a wide range of merchandise under third-party brands and its private label, Just Nile.

The Business Times understands that registration of the company's initial public offering will take place in the next two weeks.

In its preliminary product highlights sheet, Y Ventures said it made S$12.1 million in revenue last year, 36.5 per cent higher than its S$8.9 million recorded in 2015. This was due mainly to higher sales of products under its third-party brands.

Net profit attributable to shareholders in 2016 was S$1.53 million, compared to S$1.67 million the year before - due to higher cost of sales, administrative expenses, and selling and distribution expenses.

Y Ventures distributes some 5,500 stock-keeping units of active merchandise through various online marketplaces such as Amazon, Lazada and Tokopedia, it said.

The group intends to increase its product range by investing in product development and establishing new brand partnerships with suppliers and principals globally.

It said: "Our strong competitive advantage lies in our ability to develop a robust proprietary technology platform for compilation and analysis of data on online marketplaces."

This includes the analysis of demand trends, price intelligence, merchandise planning, inventory management, as well as feedback and consumer sentiment.