Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

mandmdirect.com Posts Astonishing Christmas Retail Period Figures

mandmdirect.com, the UK’s number one online discount fashion and sports retailer, has posted Christmas trading sales growth of 29 per cent to the nine weeks ending 30 December 2007. In addition, internet sales growth has increased by an astonishing 51 per cent across the same period.

More than 1.5 million items from 435,000 orders were successfully shipped to mandmdirect.com customers through November and December, positioning mandmdirect.com in the top five most visited clothing websites in the UK across the Christmas period, according to leading web analysts Hitwise.

Steve Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of mandmdirect.com comments: "The business did fantastically well over the Christmas period driven both by customers seeking out its great value products and its continued transformation from a mail order to ecommerce business.

"Looking forward to 2008 we believe we are well placed to take advantage of a softening in the market and we will also continue to improve our customer offerings."

About mandmdirect.com

- mandmdirect.com is the UK’s leading online discount fashion and sports retailer, with 100+ leading brands available at up to 75 per cent off RRP

- mandmdirect.com was founded in Leominster in 1987 and currrently employs more than 450 staff

- More than 800,000 registered customers

- In excess of 60 per cent of all orders received via mandmdirect.com website

- 15 million+ visitors each year

- Acquired by TA Associates in late October 2007

Steve Robinson, Chief Executive Officer mandmdirect.com - Profile

Steve Robinson, Chief Executive Officer for mandmdirect.com, was trained by top accountancy and auditing firm Ernst & Young. He became a chartered accountant in 1995. This led him to his next role at Kingfisher as Finance Analyst. He then quickly moved from an Analyst to Medicines Buyer for leading high street pharmecutical store, Superdrug. Robinson rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming Group Chief Analyst and Head of Strategy for General Merchandise.

In 2001, after six years at Kingfisher, he moved to the next stage of his career, joining catalogue and retail outlet Argos as Finance Director. In 2005 Robinson joined Tesco to front their Tesco Direct service. As Chief Executive Officer he took the company from a rough business plan to launch, all in less than a year. His influence was dramatic – recruiting 300 staff, opening three distribution centres and ranging more than 10,000 products. By 2007 Tesco Direct was in a position to deliver £200m in sales and to open 200 Tesco Direct desks in-store. He also helped make Tesco Direct’s on-line business one of the top UK retail websites in its own right.

In October 2007, Robinson joined the UK’s number one online discount fashion and sportswear retailer, mandmdirect.com, as Chief Executive Officer. Hired as part of the secondary buyout of mandmdirect.com by TA Associates, Robinson took over from incumbent Chief Executive Officer, Mike Tomkins.

Personal interests include visiting friends around the world in Japan, the United States and Australia, the latter being a personal favourite location. A recent holiday included big game fishing, which Steve loved and is eager to try again.

On weekends he enjoys cooking and entertaining for friends at home, which often includes karaoke sessions in his living room! Relaxation time from work comes in the form of television, with everything from soaps to sci-fi getting his interest. Steve Robinson has an impressive business acumen and boasts genuine results at the highest level of retail corporations, all achieved with the application of strong direction, knowledge, decisive action, passion and motivation.

For more info, including interview requests, contact Isobel, Alice or Alina at Brandnation:

Isobel Klempka e: Isobel@brandnation.co.uk t: 0207 940 7178
Alice Caldwell e: Alice@brandnation.co.uk t: 0207 940 7183
Alina Wallace: e: Alina@brandnation.co.uk t: 0207 940 7185