WH Smith owned online personalised greetings card and gifts business Funky Pigeon has been sold for £24m, pending regulatory approvals, to Card Factory, with the deal expected to complete by the end of 2025.
Funky Pigeon has teams in both Bristol and Guernsey and has been generating c.£30m a year in revenues for WH Smith, which has also sold off its high street/town centre trail chain in favour of full focus on its travel location and hospital-based retail chain.
Card Factory says it will leverage the digital business by using the Funky Pigeon platform as it moves to grow its share of the online greetings card and gift sector. Going forward, it will also use Funky Pigeon’s online fulfilment facility in Guernsey as well as its own Yorkshire manufacturing and fulfilment operation.
Darcy Willson-Rymer, CEO of Card Factory, said: “This acquisition marks a significant step forward in Card Factory’s strategy to build a credible, competitive digital presence in the celebration occasions market. It brings a high-quality platform and proven technology, accelerating our ability to compete in the direct-to-recipient card and gifting segment, so supporting our ambition to become the leading omnichannel retailer in our sector.
“The board and wider Card Factory team look forward to welcoming Funky Pigeon colleagues to the group.”
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