MandM Direct revealed it intends to list on the Stock Exchange and has ambitious plans to expand its no-nonsense discount fashion offer.

So as the retailer prepares for the big market flotation, here are some facts to get you up to speed:

  1. Founded in 1987 and built up as a discount fashion mail order business, 94% of MandM Direct’s sales now come from online. 90% of sales are of third party brands.
  2. MandM Direct runs six local currency sites - five of which are in local languages - to serve Germany, France, Austria, The Netherlands, Poland and Ireland. It also delivers to a further 18 markets where it doesn’t run country-specific website yet.
  3. The retailer prides itself on its nimble international roll-out model, which requires investment of less than £20,000 per new territory. Within two years of being in a new market it expects to have broken even on the investment.
  4. Thanks to a 54% growth in revenues from its international business in the year to February 2014, sales from overseas now account for 11% of the retailer’s total.
  5. To prepare for the post-IPO phase, a board of directors has been formed. To be chaired by former N Brown chief executive Alan White, it will include non-executive director Marisa Cassoni who also sits on the board of AO.com. MandM chief executive and former John Lewis online director Jonathan Brown will stay in his position.
  6. The retailer operates three own label brands, called DuFFs, Kangaroo Poo and Onfire.

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