Complex Launches Complex Shop, Eyeing $100 Million in Commerce Revenue

The music and streetwear publisher Complex launched a curated shopping platform called Complex Shop on Wednesday, part of a broader bid from the media company to expand its burgeoning commerce business.

The platform will live both as a distinct hub on the Complex website and integrate into editorial content, according to chief executive officer Aaron Levant. 

The proprietary content management system will enable consumers to purchase items without leaving the Complex website, providing the publisher with valuable shopping data that it will use to create more robust profiles of its audience.

“The goal is to be a Spotify-esque experience for commerce,” Levant said. “It will be highly personalized, with content and commerce recommendations based on your interests.”

Complex Shop already existed in a limited capacity on the Complex website, but the publisher’s new announcement revealed a dramatic expansion of its offering. The vertical now features inventory from more than 100 brands, artists, and tastemakers, as well as the exclusive drops that Complex fans expect from the publisher.

The vertical debuted with a host of limited releases that first premiered last weekend at ComplexCon, the shoppable trade show that this year moved from Long Beach, California, to a larger venue in Las Vegas. In its newly expanded capacity, the two-day event generated over $22 million in revenue and attracted more than 60,000 attendees, according to Levant.

Both the expansion of ComplexCon and the debut of Complex Shop are critical components of the larger strategy that Levant, who orchestrated the acquisition of Complex by Ntwrk, has set for the digital media company.

Complex eyes commerce, events, and video

After merging with the live-shopping platform Ntwrk in February, Complex has set its sights on dramatically scaling its commerce business. 

This year, commerce will account for roughly 50% of Complex’s total revenue, but the company aims to increase that to 66% by the end of next year. The company employs around 150 staff dedicated to its commerce business, and in 2025, it hopes to generate over $100 million in retail sales, according to Levant.

Beyond commerce, the newly combined Complex has also sought to expand its events and video businesses—all areas that have proven attractive to advertisers and resistant to replacement from technologies like artificial intelligence.

To do so, Complex has worked quickly to launch new iterations of its flagship festival, as well as build its events portfolio through acquisitions.

The publisher hosted a ComplexCon in March in Hong Kong that attracted over 30,000 attendees, and it is looking to expand into Europe next, with the goal of hosting one ComplexCon per continent per year, according to Levant.

Complex also acquired the food festival Family Style in May, which attracted more than 15,000 attendees at its recent September iteration in Los Angeles and popped up in Las Vegas in conjunction with ComplexCon.

On the video front, the publisher has worked to expand its portfolio of original series beyond hits like Sneaker Shopping. By the end of the year, Complex hopes to launch six to 10 new video series, several of which will be Family Style branded.

The three businesses all act as a flywheel, with events powering commerce and producing video. Combined with updated technology that ties consumer behavior together across surfaces, the revitalized Complex aims to blend its editorial and retail offerings into a single, sophisticated platform. 

“At first, we drove shoppers to retailers,” Levant said. “When we launched ComplexCon, we moved into the shopping business. Now, after the acquisition, we’re a commerce company.”