OnBuy has offered its 100+ employees the chance to own a stake in the business ahead of a planned IPO.
The eCommerce marketplace, on track to be UK’s next tech unicorn after recording 200% revenue growth in the last 12 months, is looking to maintain its impressive growth by allowing staff to be invested in its future success.
Over £1 million in granted share options will be offered – equivalent to around 25% of each staff member’s annual income – as the company begins to expand internationally and plans for an IPO in the next two years.
The news follows an extremely successful month for the online marketplace, reporting that GMV over the infamous Black Friday weekend increased YOY by 25%, despite the retail sector showing an overall decline in the same period.
OnBuy offers 36 million listings and is committed to being a fair partner to retailers, as – unlike other major marketplaces – it does not create its own product lines that compete directly with sellers.
It also sacrificed 85% of its commission fees on Black Friday so sellers could offer great promotions without losing margin.
“At OnBuy, we do the right thing by our retailers and customers, so it’s natural that we would do the right thing by our staff too – and we don’t believe any employee should have to be in the boardroom to benefit from company growth,” said Cas Paton, CEO and founder.
“eCommerce is a fast-paced 24-hour business and many firms have been in the spotlight recently for poor working practices and in some cases, downright abuse of staff.
“Frankly this is unacceptable and at OnBuy, we are committed to creating a fair and transparent working environment for all. We want to show that working for an eCommerce giant can be a hugely positive experience and our team is absolutely vital to our future success.
“We want to reward hard work financially, showing employees that they aren’t just a cog in the machine.”
OnBuy has grown its team to more than 100, prompting a relocation to new, larger offices in Bournemouth, and will soon launch a mobile app.