Very (online retailer)

Very (also known as Very.co.uk) is a British online retailer with headquarters in Speke, Liverpool. The brand was launched in the UK in July 2009 as part of the Shop Direct Group (now The Very Group) Very had formerly been known as Littlewoods Direct, and formerly Woolworths.co.uk.

Very.co.uk
TypeOnline brand of The Very Group
Industrye-commerce
PredecessorLittlewoods Direct
Founded2009 (online)
HeadquartersSpeke, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Area served
UK
Key people
Henry Birch (CEO)
ProductsClothing, home accessories, toys, gaming
OwnerSir David Barclay and Sir Frederick Barclay
ParentThe Very Group
Websitewww.very.co.uk

History

The original Littlewoods brand was a shopping catalogue and retail business headquartered in Liverpool, and was bought by the Barclay brothers in 2002.[1] In 2009, Littlewoods Direct was rebranded as Very.co.uk, shifting its focus to online retailing and a younger market.[2][3] The website launched officially in July 2009. A year later a mobile enabled version of the site was launched, upgrading to include video and images in 2011.[4] In the first quarter of 2013/14, mobile sales accounted for over a third of total online sales.[5]

Partnerships and promotion

Very makes extensive use of both celebrity endorsements and product placement on television and other media. Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton have acted as faces of the site, creating branded fashion collections and appearing in adverts.[5][6] Other names who have worked with the brand include Jameela Jamil and Diana Vickers.[7] In December 2013, former Girls Aloud member Kimberley Walsh became a celebrity designer for the brand.[8] Michelle Keegan launched a fashion and homeware partnership with Very in October 2017.[9]

Very has sponsored V music festival, also offering a delivery service to the festival sites in 2012.[10] It has also sponsored Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5, with branded, 'click-to-buy' product placement.[11][12]

References
  1. Hodgson, Neil (8 May 2008). "Famous name on way out". Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  2. Danaher, Tim (19 June 2009). "Littlewoods Direct to undergo Very rebrand". Retail Week. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  3. Ramsay, Fiona (29 June 2009). "Shop Direct tasks VCCP with rebranding Littlewoods Direct". Marketing Week. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  4. Alison (22 February 2011). "Fashion site Veryworld.co.uk upgrades to deliver rich media on mobile devices". Internet Retailing. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  5. Davey, James (29 October 2013). "Shop Direct makes first profit in a decade". Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  6. Creative Lounge Index (30 October 2009). "Watch Holly Willougby and Fearne Cotton in a festive ad for Veryworld.co.uk". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  7. "Jameela Jamil Launches Fashion Collection". Company. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  8. Martin, Rebecca (21 January 2014). "Kimberley Walsh Launches Her Debut Range For Veryworld.co.uk... And It's Totally Gorgeous". In Style. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  9. "5 minutes with Michelle Keegan as she launches her new fashion collection with Very". TV3.ie | Xposé Entertainment. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  10. West, Gillian (19 July 2012). "Veryworld.co.uk to deliver direct to this year's V Festival". The Drum. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  11. Farey-Jones, Daniel (3 January 2013). "Very.co.uk strikes click-to-buy partnership with Channel 5". Media Week. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  12. Macleod, Ishbel (13 June 2013). "Channel 5 and Veryworld.co.uk unveil 360 click-to-buy product placement initiative in Big Brother". Retrieved 17 March 2014.
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