Harvey Nichols signs global partnership deal with Farfetch

Harvey Nichols has become the first department store to sign a partnership deal with online luxury fashion platform Farfetch.

The global deal will see Harvey Nichols' products being made available via Farfetch from the second quarter of this year while its own e-commerce operation continues to operate, The Times reports.

Farfetch typically represents luxury brands and independent boutiques, so the signing of Harvey Nichols, which has stores in Knightsbridge, Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Dublin and Turkey, the Middle East and China, is a significant one.

The move follows on from the signing of a global deal with British luxury house Burberry, which will result in all of its global inventory being made available on the platform, and an agreement with Chanel to enhance its retail store experience with Farfetch Store of the Future technology.

Chanel will not be selling online but it has taken a financial stake in Farfetch, which was founded a decade ago by entrepreneur José Neves and which is believed to be gearing up for a float in New York later this year.