Online retailer Shop Direct rebrands to The Very Group

British online retailer Shop Direct has rebranded to The Very Group, a move the company describes  “reflects the next phase of the businesses ongoing transformation”, after announcing the plans last year.

The move brings its name in line with its flagship consumer brand, Very. The group also owns Littlewoods.com and Littlewoods Ireland.

The company said it will launch a recruitment drive over the next two years which will include 150 roles across data and technology and hundreds more at the company’s new East Midlands fulfilment centre which will be operational this year and will employ approximately 800 people during peak periods.

The move also celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Very.co.uk, which launched in 2009 as a pureplay digital retailer. Today Very.co.uk is a £1.5bn brand with three million active customers.

In a statement, Henry Birch, group CEO at The Very Group, said: "I’m hugely proud to introduce The Very Group. This rebrand builds on over 100 years of history during which time we’ve gone from catalogues to bricks to clicks to mobile. We’ve always had a passion for reinvention and becoming The Very Group is another important part of our story."

"We want to be the number one destination for shoppers who value flexible ways to pay. We’ll achieve that by constantly improving what we do, innovating with data and technology at our core, and delivering the best experience for our customers and our colleagues."

The move comes just months after the company secured a £75 million equity injection from owners, the billionaire Barclay brothers, as it looked to cover a hefty payment protection insurance bill.