Amazon in talks to buy online luxury retailer Net-a-Porter -Forbes

Two freshly delivered Amazon boxes are seen on a counter in Golden, Colorado August 27, 2014. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/Files

(Reuters) - Amazon.com is in talks to buy online luxury retailer Net-a-porter in what could be the biggest acquisition yet for the e-commerce giant, but the negotiations are in early stages and could fall apart, Forbes reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The potential deal, first reported by Women's Wear Daily, could value Net-a-Porter lower than the valuation of 2 billion euros ($2.16 billion) reported by the fashion industry trade journal, Forbes reported on Thursday, citing the person. (http://onforb.es/1IBlus9) Seattle-based Amazon has long eyed the high-end fashion retail sector and any deal for Net-a-Porter would mean a new commitment in an area where the company lacks a strong presence, Forbes said. "It's Day 1 in the category," Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos told the New York Times in an interview in 2012, saying the company was making a "significant" investment in fashion to convince top brands that it wanted to work with them, not against them. (http://nyti.ms/1IBnGjk) Media reports in 2014 said Amazon was in talks to buy Indian fashion retailer Jabong.com for $1.2 billion. Net-a-Porter is owned by luxury goods group Richemont, which bought the London-based company for 392 million euros in 2010. A spokeswoman for Net-a-Porter said the company does not comment on industry speculation. Amazon.com and Richemont could not be immediately reached for comment outside regular business hours. ($1 = 0.9243 euros) (Reporting by Ankush Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)