Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Lakeland director Tony Preedy has left housewares retailer Lakeland to take on the role of chief commercial officer of e-commerce marketplace business Fruugo.
Tony has over 25 years of home shopping and e-commerce marketing experience. For the past 10 years, he has held the post of director of marketing and international development at Lakeland, which operates an international home shopping business and stores in the UK, Middle East and Australia. He previously held senior marketing positions at home shopping companies Otto Group and Shop Direct Group.
Commenting on his appointment, Tony said: “Fruugo is an extraordinary business with powerful and unique technology that enables millions of customers across the world to find and buy products in their own language and own currency. I’m delighted to join this fast-growing e-commerce business at such an exciting time, and look forward to helping thousands of retailers reach new international customers.”
Fruugo chief executive Dominic Allonby said: “Fruugo has grown rapidly in recent years and we are now selling over 17 million items in 32 different countries, in 17 languages, supporting 22 different payment methods. Our sales have doubled each year for four years, yet this is just the beginning of what is possible. I’m looking forward to working with Tony and the rest of the Fruugo team to serve more customers in more countries with a growing range of quality products.”
Fruugo chairman Mike Hancox added: “Fruugo is an early stage technology business with huge potential. Responding to investor demand, shareholders are currently engaged in third stage fundraising, to extend the number of markets that Fruugo operates in and further invest in its unique e-commerce platform. These moves will further extend its competitive advantage in the fast-moving e-commerce technology sector.”
Fruugo.com works with retailers that wish to trade globally. Its largest markets outside the UK are the US, Australia, the Nordic Countries, Europe and Russia. Fruugo also licences its technology to brands looking to accelerate their international e-commerce business. Billed as the largest privately-owned e-commerce marketplace business in Europe, it has UK headquarters in Cumbria, along with offices in Spain, Germany, and Texas in the US.
Tony Preedy
