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Rakuten to buy Play.com
As part of its continued expansion into Europe, Japan-based online marketplace and internet services company Rakuten has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire UK-based Play.com for £25 million. The deal will see Rakuten acquire 100 percent of one of the UK’s largest online retailers. Play was launched in 1998 and now has 14 million users and 7 million listed products including CDs, DVDs, books, apparel, consumer electronics and toys.

The Hut delays float
Online retailer The Hut Group, which operates the MyProtein and LookFantastic websites, has reportedly delayed its proposed flotation due to market uncertainty.

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Other News...

PPR suspends Redcats sale
French retail and luxury-goods conglomerate PPR is said to have suspended the sale of its Redcats mail order business. According to published reports, PPR is worried about knock-on effects the weakening European economy will have on buyout firms' borrowing capacity.

Zara sets the date for Japanese online store
Fashion retailer Zara, which opened its US online shop on 6th September, has announced it will launch a Japanese ecommerce website on 20th October. In related news, parent company Inditex released its half-year results this week, recording a sales rise of 12 percent to €6.21 billion (£5.41 billion). Net income grew 14 percent year-on-year, to €717 million (£626 million).

Alexon enters formal sale talks
Alexon, the apparel retailer behind Eastex and Ann Harvey, is pushing ahead with plans to sell the company. In a statement, the company said it had begun conducting a formal sale process and was in discussions with “more than one party”. In addition to the option of buying the entire share capital, Alexon has also invited proposals to acquire “one or more of the group's brands or provide alternative debt financing from a number of trade and financial parties”.

Mobile sales rocket at New Look
Fashion chain New Look has seen a 500 percent year-on-year increase in m-commerce sales. Since launching the mobile site in April, New Look has experienced a 60 percent rise in orders, and a revenue growth of 45 percent. Multichannel director Dom McBrien said the results had far exceeded New Look's initial KPIs. The m-commerce site was designed and built by digital technology business Mobile Interactive Group (MIG).

Amazon recruitment drive
Amazon has started recruiting staff for its new Dunfermline fulfilment centre. As well as hundreds of temporary roles, Amazon is also hiring operations, IT, HR, and engineering staff. In total, Amazon is looking to create approximately 1,000 new jobs.

Sales up but profits take a hit at The Entertainer
The Entertainer, a multichannel retailer of toys, has posted a sales rise of 8.4 percent to £71 million. Profits dipped from £1.4 million to £1 million, but the company had originally budgeted for a profit of £750,000.

Asos launches Australian site
London-based online retailer Asos has launched an Australian website offering customer pricing in Australian dollars, localised content, free shipping and local returns. International online sales now account for more than half of the company’s total turnover.

Screwfix plans more stores, sees profits rise
Screwfix is creating 1,000 jobs and plans to open 40 new stores by the end of January. The Kingfisher-owned tools and DIY company recorded a 25 percent increase in profits to £17 million for the six months to 30th July. In the previous full year, profits were £28 million on sales of £479 million.

St Ives acquires Response One
St Ives Group, a supplier of print and marketing services has acquired data marketing firm Response One. Following the acquisition, Response One will operate as a subsidiary of St Ives and will continue to be managed by the existing management team from its existing premises in Bath.

ECMOD Conference – booking now open!
The full conference programme is now available here. With over 70 expert speakers across 50 sessions, this 2-day event promises to educate delegates to enable them to grow their departments and businesses. Join us on 30th November and/or 1st December at the Business Design Centre, London. Delegates attending on 30th November are also invited to attend the Networking Drinks Reception, kindly sponsored by Chase Paymentech. To book your place complete the form online, call +44 (0)1271 866112 or email info@ecmod.com.

Print Master Class
To learn more about maximising your print ROI and how to perform your own print purchasing audit, book your place to attend the Print Master Class. Led by print procurement consultants Blue Buffalo, the event has an option of 6 dates, the next one being on 5th October. Rates start at £295 per person, with discounts for members of CatEx DCA. Contact Jenny Squire for more details on how to book on 01271 866112 or email jenny@ecmod.com.



Smart with search
With approximately 21 million people using their handsets to browse the internet and 6.8 million making multiple visits to retailers, mobile commerce has taken searching the net to a whole new level. Read more here…

Coming up in Direct Commerce...

• October issue: special focus on customer recruitment—affiliate marketing, DRTV, online marketing, PLUS our bonus payment processing supplement
• November issue: ECMOD in focus and a look at supercharged marketing: tips and tweaks that you can use now

 




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