Share this newsletter...


Top Stories...

Sun Capital snaps up two more businesses
Following its acquisition of apparel retailer Alexon in September, private-equity firm Sun Capital has bought womenswear retailer Jacques Vert. The deal values Jacques Vert, which operates the Jacques Vert, Planet, Precis and Windsmoor brands, at £41 million. Sun Capital, through its affiliate Minerva Bidco, now plans to merge Jacques Vert and Alexon—recently renamed Irisa Group. In separate news, Sun Capital has also bought golfing accessories retailer American Golf for a rumoured £50 million. American Golf operates online and via 88 stores in the UK. Last year, it had sales of £86.6 million. Its previous owner was private equity investor LDC (Lloyds TSB Development Capital), which backed a management buyout of the business in 2004. 

Flying Brands confirms takeover approaches 
Flying Brands, which operates Gardening Direct and Flying Flowers, has confirmed it has received approaches for “certain” of its assets, but has not at this stage received a bid for the entire business. 

sponsors message


Other News...

Merry Christmas from CataloguesCatalogues
This is the last CataloguesCatalogues newsletter for 2011; but don’t fret, we’ll be back with the first issue of 2012 on 5th January. So until then we’d like to wish all our readers, advertisers and supporters, a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! From all of us at ECMOD, Direct Commerce, Expert Register and CatEx Direct Commerce Association, see you next year! 

Hunter acquired by Searchlight
Wellington boot specialist Hunter has been acquired by Searchlight Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. Its existing shareholders, which include Lord Marland of Odstock and former Thomas Pink chief executive Peter Mullen, retain a minority stake.

Ideal appoints Tim Curtis as multichannel director
Tim Curtis is joining Ideal Shopping Direct as multichannel director from Lands’ End, where he was managing director Northern Europe. Prior to joining Lands’ End four years ago, Curtis was head of Mothercare Direct. He is also a CatEx Direct Commerce Association board member. At Ideal, Curtis will be responsible for marketing, public relations and ecommerce.

Profit warnings from HMV, Thorntons, Ocado
In the 26 weeks to 29th October, total sales from continuing operations at entertainment products retailer HMV fell 17.6 percent to £364.9 million. The retailer issued a profits warning after total group loss after tax and exceptional items plunged to £50.1 million. Confectioner Thorntons also released a profit warning this week. It now expects to break even this year. Last year, profits were approximately £4.3 million. At online grocer Ocado, profit is expected to be below market expectations as capacity constraints at its warehouse put pressure on delivery and accuracy. Analysts had previously anticipated a profit of £34.2 million, but Ocado has told the City is forecasts no more than £28.5 million for the full year.



Save the date
Next year’s ECMOD will take place at Business Design Centre, London on 27th to 28th November and will once again colocate with Rising Media’s Data Driven Business Week. A multitrack conference programme will run alongside the exhibition, and interested parties are invited to put themselves forward as speakers. Email Rhi Leeds (rhi@ecmod.com) with your topic suggestions. For more details, visit www.ecmod360.co.uk. 

Aurora reshuffles roles
Aurora Fashions, which operates apparel brands Coast, Oasis and Warehouse, has made two new hires and announced two internal moves. Hash Ladha, Aurora’s current group multichannel director becomes deputy managing director at Oasis in the New Year—a newly created role. Ish Patel, who holds the post of group strategic development director at Aurora Fashions, is promoted to group omnichannel director and will take on responsibility for IT, distribution, business development and the multichannel technical teams. Jennifer Roebuck, formerly head of digital and ecommerce at French Connection, joins Warehouse as marketing director in February 2012. Kim Elliott will join Coast as design director in March 2012, having worked at Monsoon Accessorize for the past 17 years within design.
 
Monsoon Accessorize invests in ecommerce
As part of plans to grow its online business significantly over the next five years, both in the UK and internationally, Monsoon Accessorize has announced it is moving to Hybris ecommerce platform. As well as offering multilingual capabilities, the new sites will allow Monsoon to use click and collect, loyalty and gift voucher services and order in-store, deliver to home functionality.
 
How much? Brits set to spend more online on Christmas Day
compared to last year
British consumers will spend £186.4 million online on Christmas Day and a further £367.8 million on Boxing Day. These estimates represent a 12 percent increase on the total spend last year, reports IMRG.
 
Sales up at Laura Ashley
Thanks to improvements made in its interactive upholstery and made-to-measure curtain range on its website, online sales at Laura Ashley grew 9 percent in the first 19 weeks of the second half to 10 December 2011. Total sales during the period rose 1.7 percent.
 
K3’s shopping spree continues 
K3, a supplier of ERP software, has made its seventh acquisition of 2011. It bought Retail Systems Group Ltd, a provider of Microsoft Dynamics software to retailers in the UK and Ireland, marking its seventh deal of 2011. K3 paid £1.28 million in cash, with an additional payment of approximately £1.5 million due at completion. A further £200,000 is payable over the next two years depending on performance criteria. The deal provides K3 with access to smaller retailers, complementing its mid-range retail software offering.
 
Fashion Rocks hits the wall
Fashion Rocks, an online seller of streetwear, has appointed Begbies Traynor as administrator. At the time of writing, the Fashion Rocks website was still operational.



The best of 2011
From royal weddings to riots, expansions to collapses, 2011 had it all. Here's our snapshot of the past 12 months: