News
Readers’ Union Retailers look
Tactics
phases out for growth
Views
book clubs
overseas
Readers’ Union, a direct marketer of Following the trial of its Simply Be years old and that the country has
books, is phasing out its book clubs. website in Germany, multititle mailer high internet use also contributed to
Some of the clubs will be relaunched N Brown Group is putting aside the decision to launch there.
in July as online offerings supported by £1 million for further international Fashion retailer New Look is
print catalogues. “We feel this will be activity. And N Brown is not the only starting its international efforts with
a much better way to continue to direct seller to view international websites in France and Belgium. It
sell books in these niche areas, as expansion as a potentially lucrative has appointed e-inbusiness, which
the book-club model had become opportunity. Otto Group, New Look, designed its fi rst transactional site
uneconomical to continue,” says and Jaeger also recently announced in December 2007, to carry out
Renee Webb, product and content forays overseas. the project.
manager at RUBooks.co.uk, Germany-based Otto, which in Continental Europe is also the
Readers’ Union’s recently launched the UK operates Freemans, Grattan, destination for British fashion brand
website, which sells books on and Kaleidoscope, announced in Jaeger, which is taking its website to
photography, equestrian, painting, April that it was taking Limango, its Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic,
history, and nostalgia. Other German online shopping club, to Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
clubs, however, are being closed Turkey. Otto had acquired Limango, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
altogether. whose members receive discounts on Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden,
A letter to customers explained childrenswear, children’s furniture, and Switzerland, as well as to Ireland.
that the number of members in certain clubs had reduced “below toys, and accessories, in January. It is also targeting the US. Orders
the level that allows us to continue to run [the] club profi tably”. The Turkish operation, however, will will be shipped from Jaeger’s UK
One of those being wound down is the country-sports club, “but we focus on fashion rather than family. distribution centre via DHL. Jaeger’s
are actively looking to see if any third parties could take over this In a statement Otto said it chose website has become the brand’s
list,” Webb says. As well as RUBooks, Readers’ Union has launched Turkey for its “rapidly expanding second largest UK store, and 25
RUCrafts.co.uk, specialising in craft items. Webb says the company online market”. The fact that 57 percent of its traffi c comes from
is receiving positive feedback on the two new websites. percent of Turkish citizens are 15-34 overseas.
Movers and shakers
Graham Norton has resigned as fi nance Shop Direct Group has
director of multititle mailer Flying Brands. appointed Matthew
A statement from the company said Hardcastle as head
Norton left to join “a FTSE 250 company”. of Woolworths as the
Replacing him will be Anthony Gee, who company readies for its
was group fi nancial controller. relaunch this summer.
Hardcastle spent the
Gian Luzio, past fi ve years at eBay,
formerly head of most recently as managing director of the
games at Play. Shopping.com UK network.
com, joined The
Hut Group as Charlotte Higson has left the Royal Michael Murphy, formerly chief executive
product director. National Lifeboats Institution (RNLI). of social networking site Friends Reunited,
He will focus on Replacing her as head of sales is Clare has led a management buy-in of cashback
the company’s McDermott. cooperative Quidco. At Quidco, which says
TheHut.com it generates £250 million per annum for
and Zavvi retail Sven Gaede, the former chief executive its 1,300 retail partners, Murphy is tasked
websites. of Net-a-Porter, has joined luxury handbag with steering the company through its next
brand Radley as chief executive. phase of growth.
ceb 170.indd 7 26/10/09 19:18:54
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