GettingPersonal sold to Card Factory

ONLINE gift and card retailer GettingPersonal.co.uk has been sold to Yorkshire company Card Factory.

The £11.5m turnover Manchester-based firm launched by two Altrincham businessmen, Giles Harridge and John Brown, after meeting at an ante-natal class, was part-owned by private equity group ISIS.

All parties have sold their stakes to Wakefield-based Card Factory for an undisclosed sum.

John Smith, managing director of GettingPersonal.co.uk said: “We have transformed the personalised gift market over the last five years with our unique gift ideas and have seen tremendous growth within a short space of time.

“We are delighted to be joining the Card Factory Group and see exciting opportunities to grow both businesses further.”

Richard Hayes, chief executive of Card Factory, said: “GettingPersonal.co.uk’s innovative approach has seen it quickly become a leading light in the online personalised gift market in the UK.

“We will support John and his management team in establishing the business as the UK‟s leading personalised online gift retailer.“

Andy Garbutt, corporate development director at Card Factory, told TheBusinessDesk.com the business had been looking to expand its online strategy and saw GettingPersonal.co.uk as an ideal platform to achieve that.

However, Mr Garbutt said Card Factory was continuing its rapid store expansion which has seen the business, established by Huddersfield Town owner Dean Hoyle, open 45 new shops since February, taking its stable to 580.

Management and ISIS were advised by a team from the Manchester offices of investment bank DC Advisory Partners and law firm Pinsent Masons, led by corporate partner Howard Gill.

Gill and corporate associate Sarah Flinn also advised the founders when they sold a significant minority stake to ISIS 14 months ago.