Boo.com: the fashion site that launched in many countries before its pages could load

What Boo.com was

Founded in London in 1998 by Ernst Malmsten, Kajsa Leander, and Patrik Hedelin, Boo.com set out to be the global destination for sportswear and designer fashion online. It attracted prominent backers and spent lavishly on offices, staff, and marketing.

The site launched in late 1999 after repeated delays, offering rotating product views and a virtual shopping assistant across multiple countries, currencies, and languages. Within about six months it had spent most of its roughly $135 million and went into receivership in May 2000.

Why it failed

1. 1

   Built for broadband in a dial-up world

   The website relied on heavy graphics and plug-ins that loaded slowly or not at all on the dial-up connections most people used, and early versions reportedly worked poorly on Macs. The experience meant to set Boo apart got in the way of actually buying anything.

2. 2

   Launching everywhere at once

   Instead of proving the model in one market, Boo launched across many countries simultaneously. That multiplied the complexity of logistics, returns, pricing, and support before there was any evidence that customers wanted the product.

3. 3

   Spending without a feedback loop

   Much of the money went into overheads and marketing before launch. Because the site arrived months late, the company had very little real customer data to learn from before cash ran low.