Ideal Shopping Direct

About 

Wishing to come off London’s AIM and focus on its IT infrastructure, Ideal Shopping Direct (ISD) partnered with Inflexion. The partnership saw the company grow and establish a presence in the US before being sold to Blackstone. 

ISD is one of the UK’s leading multi-channel home shopping retailers, selling via TV and online. Ideal Shopping Direct operates in two distinct and growing markets, TV shopping and the craft and hobbyist market, selling a variety of popular lifestyle products through its channels as well as multiple websites. 

Value acceleration 

Our strategy focused on accelerating growth through targeted acquisitions and international expansion. Deramores and Craft Channel Productions were both acquired and integrated into the business, extending Ideal Shopping Direct’s offering. During our ownership, craft club members increased from 55,000 to 90,000.  

Inflexion also helped ISD establish its presence in the US through a partnership with a local distributor and the launch of a dedicated US TV channel, helping it to access c. 40 million US households. ISD also undertook a digital audit to inform the development of the company’s websites and trading platforms and enhance its multi-channel offering. 

During our stewardship, employee numbers grew from over 580 at investment to more than 820 at exit. Inflexion generated a total realised return on investment of 2.6x.