Hut Group buys Mankind Direct

Acquisitive consumer products business The Hut Group has bought the online retailer Mankind Direct for £2.5 million.

The deal follows the acquisition of the health and beauty retailer Lookfantastic Group for £19.4 million in November.

Hampshire-based Mankind Direct sells health and beauty goods aimed at male consumers, such as shaving products and fragrances. The acquisition includes the websites Mankind.co.uk and BeautyExpert.co.uk.

The Hut Group has 250 employees and in 2009 declared a turnover of around £80 million. The Cheshire-based company trades online through its own sites including Zavvi.com and Iwantoneofthose.com, as well as producing online retail platforms for customers such as ASDA and Argos.

Nick Britton

Nick was the Managing Editor for growthbusiness.co.uk when it was owned by Vitesse Media, before moving on to become Head of Investment Group and Editor at What Investment and thence to Head of Intermediary... More by Nick Britton