ASOS
ASOS was established in June 2000 by CEO Nick Robertson. An entrepreneur at heart, Nick started ASOS.com with 3 employees. 10 years later, ASOS has over 1,000 employees and is the United Kingdom's largest independent online and fashion beauty retailer. With international growth leading the way, it is quickly becoming the market leader in the online fashion world, recently posting sales of £223 million.
Despite deprecating its original meaning (As Seen On Screen), ASOS is still written as an uppercase acronym; the exception to the rule being the new company logo designed by Ben Lewin as part of new visual identity and introduced in 2008 where it is stylistically shown all in lowercase.
In October 2001 ASOS PLC Holdings was admitted to AIM on the London Stock Exchange.
Despite deprecating its original meaning (As Seen On Screen), ASOS is still written as an uppercase acronym; the exception to the rule being the new company logo designed by Ben Lewin as part of new visual identity and introduced in 2008 where it is stylistically shown all in lowercase.
In October 2001 ASOS PLC Holdings was admitted to AIM on the London Stock Exchange.
LITTLEWOODS IRELAND
Shop Direct Group is the United Kingdom's leading online retailer, and its largest home shopping company.[2][4] It is based in the Speke area of the city of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England. Established in November 2005 as a result of a merger of the former Littlewoods and Shop Direct companies, the retailer was known as the Littlewoods Shop Direct Group until a corporate rebranding in May 2008.
A business group trading via several catalogues and websites, Shop Direct traces its roots to a variety of mail order companies in northern England, particularly Littlewoods, the football pools and mail order business founded by John Moores, as well as the Manchester based home shopping business of Great Universal Stores. These companies were purchased by Sir David and Frederick Barclay in 2003,[4] and a major business restructuring took place leading to a merger of two companies that had "been arch rivals for the best part of 100 years".[5]
Since the merger of what had been struggling businesses in 2005, ongoing restructuring and modernisation of the company has resulted in the Shop Direct Group emerging as the leading online retailer within the British Isles. Its traditional paper-based and phone-in orders system has been superseded by electronic commerce technology.[3] In 2009 Shop Direct Group acquired the brand name of the failed Woolworths, and have stated they plan to amalgamate the business into its existing home shopping network.
A business group trading via several catalogues and websites, Shop Direct traces its roots to a variety of mail order companies in northern England, particularly Littlewoods, the football pools and mail order business founded by John Moores, as well as the Manchester based home shopping business of Great Universal Stores. These companies were purchased by Sir David and Frederick Barclay in 2003,[4] and a major business restructuring took place leading to a merger of two companies that had "been arch rivals for the best part of 100 years".[5]
Since the merger of what had been struggling businesses in 2005, ongoing restructuring and modernisation of the company has resulted in the Shop Direct Group emerging as the leading online retailer within the British Isles. Its traditional paper-based and phone-in orders system has been superseded by electronic commerce technology.[3] In 2009 Shop Direct Group acquired the brand name of the failed Woolworths, and have stated they plan to amalgamate the business into its existing home shopping network.
A/WEAR
A|Wear (previously Gay Wear) launched on Irish high-streets in 1985 as part of the Galen Weston's successful retail empire. Gaywear had first opened in Limerick in 1966. Up until the mid-2000s the stores were operated by the Brown Thomas Group. In May 2007 a consortium purchased the company from the Brown Thomas Group. The new company continue to operate 25 stores in the Republic of Ireland, three in Northern Ireland and more recently five stores have opened in the United Kingdom.
RIVER ISLAND
The company was set up in 1948 by Bernard Lewis, operating from a small shop in London trading as Lewis Separates. However, it has since gone through several name changes (Chelsea Girl, Concept Man) before becoming River Island in 1988. The group is a family concern, led by entrepreneur and chairman Bernard Lewis. River Island's collections are designed by a team of in-house designers.
In 2009 River Island introduced Maternity wear online and into selected stores, this was then shortly followed by childrenswear in 2010.
In 2009 River Island introduced Maternity wear online and into selected stores, this was then shortly followed by childrenswear in 2010.
