Thu, 22 Jan 2026 | BUSINESS SALE
Global specialist media platform Future plc has acquired UK-based digital publishing group Sheerluxe in a deal worth an initial £39.3 million. Founded in 2007 as a directory of online retailers, SheerLuxe has grown to become a major digital publisher in women's fashion and lifestyle.
The company comprises a portfolio of digital brands reaching an audience exceeding six million. This includes 2.3 million monthly page views, 2.4 million followers across social media, 900,000 email subscribers and 400,000 podcast and YouTube subscribers.
SheerLuxe is characterised as a fast-growing “Google-zero” brand, meaning it is not reliant on search engines to drive traffic, with its audience having a strong skew towards Gen-Z.
Future plc has acquired SheerLuxe Ltd and BLUSH Talent MGMT Ltd for an initial cash consideration of £39.3 million, funded from its existing facilities, along with an earn-out conditional on future performance.
The transaction is capped at a total of £80 million, with the earn-out consideration tied to delivery of an “ambitious” business plan, retention of the current management team and continued double-digit EBITDA growth over the next three years.
SheerLuxe generated revenue of £12.6 million in the year to September 2025, with EBITDA of £5.1 million, a margin of around 40 per cent. The initial consideration for the earnings-accretive bolt-on acquisition represents an EV/EBITDA multiple of 7.8x.
Future expects to drive synergies by launching SheerLuxe in the US, using its commercial scale, ad and affiliate capabilities, as well as products including Collab and Future Optic. Through this strategy, the acquisition is expected to further bolster the group’s Fashion & Beauty vertical, alongside existing titles such as Marie Claire and Who What Wear.
Future CEO Kevin Li Ying says the group has long admired SheerLuxe due to the “status and brand credibility it has established in fashion, beauty and lifestyle.”
He continued: “With a rare combination of strong growth characteristics and a loyal, high-value audience, SheerLuxe will be highly complementary to our portfolio and will benefit from our scale and commercial capabilities."
Georgie Coleridge Cole, founder of SheerLuxe, added: "Since it was founded in 2007, SheerLuxe has become an authoritative voice on fashion, beauty, culture and lifestyle focused on inspiring, educating and entertaining our fast-growing audience. With its innovative approach to media, Future is a natural home for us, and we are excited about what we can achieve working with Kevin and the wider team."
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