Ideal Shopping Direct has snapped up crafting etailer CreateToday.

The acquisition from Internet Media Marketing is the first buy by the TV shopping group since it was taken over by private equity firm Inflexion last year.

The buy fits in with Ideal Shopping Direct’s strategy of increasing its multichannel reach and digital capacities.

The CreateToday platform will be used to enhance Ideal Shopping’s Create and Craft business which it said is enjoying strong growth across all channels.

Ideal Shopping chief executive Mike Hancox: “CreateToday will help us leapfrog our competition in the craft market, by offering customers a superior digital experience and access to more diverse content, via third party partners as well as Create and Craft TV.”

Create and Craft TV recently signed up former Blue Peter presenter Anthea Turner as its brand ambassador to promote its ‘Get Britain Crafting’ campaign.

Inflexion has also completed the buyout of impulse giftware products firm Natural Products Worldwide (NPW), which supplies to John Lewis, New Look and WH Smith’s among others.

As part of the buyout, Mark Smith, founder and former chief executive of Claire’s Accessories in Europe, will join the NPW board as chairman.

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