Music Magpie on a roll
A MACCLESFIELD business that buys and sells CDs online has paid out more than £2m to its customers, after its TV adverts led to a surge in new users.
Music Magpie was set up in 2007 by two former directors of the Music Zone retail chain, managing director Steve Oliver and IT and operations director Walter Gleeson.
Users of the site are given a price for their CD after entering its barcode. Music Magpie then provides free postage and sends a cheque once the item’s quality has been checked.
The company had paid out £1m in June 2009 and Mr Oliver said the latest milestone has been reached in half the expected time.
He said: “Musicmagpie’s customer base is growing daily as more and more people look to earn extra money from things they no longer use.
“In the last couple of months we have seen our TV ad contribute a significant increase in the number of people visiting the website. We are really pleased about the growth of the business and see it continuing to gain popularity.”
Mr Oliver founded Music Magpie, which has no retail outlets, but operates from a warehouse in Macclesfield, after the demise of Music Zone. He became managing director at Music Zone following a £12m management buyout in 2005 but the business was forced to close when bankers withdrew credit facilities.
