Flying Brands divests retail divisions

Multibrand home shopping company Flying Brands has announced plans to sell all its retail divisions, exiting the catalogue market. It will refocus as a Jersey-based growing and live-despatch business, supplying live plants and shrubs to retailers.

Terms have been agreed to sell the trade and certain assets of Garden Bird Supplies, Garden Centre Online and Listen2 businesses to the Garden and Home Trading Company Ltd, a subsidiary of home entertainment products distributor MBL Group plc, for £720,000. In February, Flying Brands sold its loss-making gifts division, comprising the business and assets of Flying Flowers and Flowers Direct, to Interflora for £2.4 million.

The company is currently marketing its flagship Gardening Direct business for sale and says it’s in talks with a number of interested parties.

In order to reduce central overheads and “slim down” the business, Flying Brands has announced the closure of its Chelmsford head office and the outsourcing of its remaining contact centre operations to Prolog from early June.