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Spark acquires ethical retailer and launches ecommerce company
Contact Centre and Fulfilment outsourcer, Spark Response, announced today (Wednesday 16th March) that it has purchased the assets of online fair trade, organic and eco-friendly products retailer, Ethicalsuperstore.com. The newly-acquired business will operate as part of a new subsidiary company, Spark Etail Limited.
In the five years since its inception, Ethicalsuperstore.com has grown to become the UK's leading single source for all things fair-trade, eco friendly and organic, and has the widest range of ethical brands and products online serving over 150,000 customers.
Peter Slee, Managing Director, Spark Response, said: "We have worked in partnership with Ethicalsuperstore.com and its associated eCommerce brands for some time now. This is a fantastic opportunity for Spark to broaden its offering and is a logical extension to our business.
"As part of our strategic commitment to the new company, Spark will be making a significant investment over the next year to profitably grow Ethical Superstore, Natural Collection and the newly-launched Onegoodmarket.com. During the transition period, we aim to provide service as usual to consumers and, in time, we aim to grow the product range and services available."
Spark entered into partnership with Ethicalsuperstore.com after taking over the retailer's inbound call handling operation in April 2010. The handling of eCommerce fulfilment for Ethicalsuperstore.com and its partner brands followed in August with 16 members of warehousing and contact centre staff being transferred from its Team Valley head office to Spark's premises on Follingsby Park to work on the account. Upon completion of the deal the EthicalSuperstore employees transferred to the new subsidiary company.
Peter continues: "We are delighted to welcome more members of the Ethical team to Spark, including co-founders Andy Redfern and Vic Morgan, who together with my co-Director Noel Lambert and myself will form the Board of Directors of the new business. The team at Spark has many years of contact centre and fulfilment experience and Andy and Vic bring with them their own years of experience in online commerce and marketing and we hope that this combined experience will lead to an enhanced service offering and growth for the company."
