Immediate Media Co acquires TV and online ecommerce platform Jewellery Maker
Founded in 2010, Jewellery Maker is a major craft transactional brand, and is the only UK TV shopping channel devoted to people who make their own jewellery; whether for personal use, gifts or for resale. With a staff of over 100 people, the company is based in Redditch, in the West Midlands.
The Jewellery Maker TV channel broadcasts 24 hours a day on Sky Channel 665, Virgin Channel 756 and Freesat Channel 807, and on Freeview Channel 76. The brand’s website, www.jewellerymaker.com, live streams all programming, as well as providing a raft of video tutorials and workshops.
Immediate already reaches over 18m affluent and engaged UK consumers monthly through its market-leading magazine media brands across a range of special interest sectors, including Food, Cycling, Parenting, Weddings and Craft. In the Craft sector alone Immediate reaches over two million passionate and active crafters each month across its current content platforms.
The acquisition of a TV shopping business is a significant step in Immediate’s roadmap to drive growth and adjacent revenue opportunities as part of its platform strategy.
Immediate CEO Tom Bureau says: “Immediate is focused on unlocking value from highly engaged special interest audiences across a range of technology platforms and business models. We look for opportunities where there is deep engagement with audiences, where we can quickly integrate the technology and business model, and where there is real growth potential. Jewellery Maker, and the platform and systems that are part of this deal, ticks all those boxes.
“The Genuine Gemstone Company is a market leader in TV shopping, and ecommerce, and we’re tremendously excited about working with Jewellery Maker’s talented team. We already reach over two million active crafters in a UK market which we know is worth over £3bn in retail. Jewellery Maker will help us develop our transactional capability, and build-out a new TV shopping opportunity for Immediate.”
Steve Bennett, CEO of The Genuine Gemstone Company, adds: “We are delighted to announce the upcoming sale of Jewellery Maker to Immediate. Our great team of jewellery making experts, combined with the reach of Immediate, will help accelerate the growth of this fantastic business.”
The acquisition is scheduled for completion by early December. The brand will be overseen by Francois-Regis Coumau, Immediate’s Group Managing Director with responsibility for ecommerce, data, subscriptions and corporate business development. Francois-Regis joined the business in September and was previously General Manager for Continental Europe for eBay, running a $250m operation where he significantly accelerated the business over his four year tenure. Specialising in user experience and CRM, he has also held major marketing and data roles at Mars and L’Oreal.
Immediate reaches over 18 million UK consumers a month and is home to internationally famous brands including Radio Times, BBC Gardeners’ World, BBC Good Food, olive and MadeForMums. In January 2015 Immediate acquired the UK’s leading digital planning brand for weddings, www.hitched.co.uk. Immediate was named Company of the Year at the British Media Awards 2015.
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