The Hut Group

Global online retailer The Hut Group was founded in 2004 to create an ecommerce system that supports multiple retailers.

The British business (also known as THG) has its headquarters in Manchester and a diverse portfolio covering health and beauty, fashion, accessories and sports.

Today, it manages over 160 websites selling fast-moving consumer goods direct to consumer and trades in 200 countries in 35 languages. It has a global customer base of over 20 million.

It also manages and licenses its proprietary end-to-end technology platform, Ingenuity, which includes ecommerce, fulfilment, marketing, localisation and web hosting services. Ingenuity clients include Procter & Gamble, Honda and Nintendo.

Valued at more than £2.5bn in 2017, The Hut Group is one of the UK’s few unicorns (privately owned tech start-ups valued at over £1bn).

THG’s acquisitions include entertainment retailer Zavvi, online beauty retailer Lookfantastic, Glossybox (a monthly subscription box like Birchbox) and cruelty-free British make-up brand Illamasqua.