Cornwall-based apparel cataloguer Celtic
Sheepskin has sold a minority stake to private equity
firm Piper. The investment will see the £8 million company
through its next stage of growth, which will include introducing
an additional catalogue for autumn/winter and recruiting more
staff. The company will now start the search for a managing
director, senior buyer and senior merchandiser.
Plus-size catalogue Simply Be is to move from
clicks to bricks this year with a trial of three “concept
stores”. The stores, in as yet undisclosed locations, will
test whether the cost of a retail presence is justified by the
incremental customers and revenue generated by a multichannel
offering. In 2010, the N Brown-owned brand reached revenues of
£100 million for the first time. International sales from
Germany and the USA were £4.2 million–almost double last
year’s. Total group revenue increased by 4.2 per cent to
£718.8 million in the 52 weeks to 26th February. Operating
profit rose 5.1 per cent to £102.6 million, while pretax
profit was up 5.5 per cent to £98.2 million.
Look who else has undergone a rebrand; stationery cataloguer
Viking Direct has revamped its logo and dropped
the Direct from its name. In addition, it has overhauled its
website and catalogues and is understood to embark on a national
TV and Radio ad campaign on 16th May.
Get the Label, a website and catalogue selling
discounted branded fashion, has launched a Facebook app to make
the most of its top referring website and provide customers with
more content and interaction on a regular basis. The app, Get The
Memories, allows users to create photo albums which they can
share with friends.
Also taking advantage of new social elements is apparel etailer
BooHoo.com. This month will see it launch a
changing room function allowing users to create outfits and share
them friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and email.
TV-shopping channel QVC Beauty, which launched
on Sky in October 2010, has began airing on Freeview opening up
the channel to a further 10.8 million homes.
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