RCS - Unbound Group PLC - Initial launch of curated multi-brand platform

UnboundAnnouncement

28/07/2022 07:16

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RNS Number : 9534T  Unbound Group PLC  28 July 2022

28 July 2022

 

Unbound Group plc

("Unbound" or the "Group")

 

Initial launch of curated multi-brand platform

Continued development of platform and partner brand strategy

ahead of Autumn Winter launch in September

 

Unbound Group plc is pleased to confirm the initial launch of its curated
multi-brand platform, as scheduled, which offers a range of partner brands for
its core 55+ customer demographic. The further Autumn Winter launch of the
platform is on track to be completed in September.

Alongside its core Hotter brand, the Group is initially launching with the
first 7 chosen partner brands, primarily focused on complementary specialist
footwear categories.

From today through to October, the Group will continue to phase the onboarding
of additional partner brands which will broaden the offering further across
apparel and other specialist footwear categories, as announced on 30 June
2022. All partner brand relationships are designed to be capital light,
operating a drop ship model with a fixed percentage commission payable on
every sale.

Utilising insight driven from its loyal and growing customer base, the Group
intends to expand into other relevant growth areas, including wellness, in Q4
2022 and will establish its own Unbound apparel range in Q2 2023.

The Group will also continue to explore additional partner brand opportunities
in the coming months with several further partnerships at an advanced stage.
Each potential partner brand is subject to a careful selection process using
data-driven insights based on four key criteria: relevancy, desirability,
specialism and sustainability. Central to this process is the Group's
continued desire to meet its customer needs.

The Group also continues to invest in the development of the functionality and
technology of its Mirakl-integrated site; focusing on enabling the Group to
partner seamlessly with its selected partner brands, efficiently scale product
offering and support a frictionless customer experience.

Once a brand joins the platform, it will have direct access to the Group's
growing 4.6m customer database and the benefits of the Group's investment to
date in technology and marketing campaigns.

Ian Watson, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"We are on track to deliver a successful launch of the Unbound platform and I
am delighted to be taking the first step towards the Autumn Winter launch in
early September in partnership with 14 carefully selected brands. We continue
to use our data driven customer insight in conjunction with our technology and
broader expertise to enhance our platform, strengthen our offering and
optimise the user experience, which is expected to drive further customer
engagement and loyalty in the medium term.

I am pleased with our progress to date. Alongside the continued momentum and
brand strength of Hotter, we have seen strong uptake from a selection of
leading partner brands, each of which offers something unique and additive to
our loyal customers but are united under the Unbound Group umbrella. I am
confident that each brand recognises the potential value our platform can
bring to them, in turn encouraging future brands to join us on our curated,
scalable platform.

Today's launch is just the start. We look forward to seeing the continuing
progress of the platform and the true potential of the full Unbound Group
offer becoming apparent in the coming months as we pursue our growth plans."

 

ENDS

 

Enquiries

Unbound Group plc
Ian Watson / Dan Lampard / Jenna Shillcock
020 3874 8300

 

Singer Capital Markets

Peter Steel / Tom Salvesen / Alaina Wong / Kailey Aliyar

020 7496 3000

 

Vico Partners
Sofia Newitt
020 3957 5045

 

Notes to Editors

Unbound Group plc

Unbound Group plc is the parent company for a group selling a range of brands
focused on the 55+ demographic. Unbound Group will build on the solid
foundation of Hotter Shoes, its current main business, to grow value through
its curated, multi-brand retail platform supporting the active lifestyles of
the 55+ demographic with a range of products and services. Unbound Group's
platform will be powered by Mirakl's leading marketplace technology to enable
the Group to partner seamlessly with selected third-party brands. Unbound
Group's expanded offering beyond footwear will feature a broad range of active
lifestyle products and services, with third-party complementary brands
featuring alongside new Unbound Group brands, as well as Hotter.

Hotter Shoes

Hotter Shoes, an Unbound Group plc company, is one of the UK's leading
specialist footwear brands, selling over 1.4 million pairs of shoes per year.
Hotter's footwear has an uncompromising focus on 'customised comfort' and
perfect fit through the use of its differentiating technology, including its
e-commerce platform, 3D foot scanner and augmented reality app which enables
the consumer to try products virtually from home. Hotter has been transformed
from a retail to a digitally led, omni-channel business over the past 3 years,
selling its footwear to over 4 million customers via online, its direct mail
order channel and its targeted 17 Technology Centres and 8 garden centre
concessions in the UK. With its clearly defined, large and growing target
demographic, Hotter now reaches some 30% of the female population in the UK
over the age of 55. Digital partnerships have recently been established with
several online retailers including Next, John Lewis, The Very Group and
M&S.

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