Studio Retail Limited, formerly Express Gifts Ltd, the largest company within the Findel plc group, sells clothing, greeting cards, gifts, home and garden items through its Studio and Ace catalogues and websites. Studio Retail Limited is a multi-channel retailer that offers home shopping services through a combination of direct catalogue marketing and online shopping. It is a credit proposition offering credit accounts. Studio Retail Limited operates through the brands Studio and Ace, and formerly HalfCost and Health & Home Shopping.
Findel Education Limited
Findel Education is a supplier of educational resources in Europe, with a Head Office in the Hyde area of Greater Manchester. Customers include state and independent schools from nursery to secondary level, hospitals, charities, and other educational bodies. Product range covers all curriculum subjects as well as all the furniture, audio-visual, stationery and janitorial needs of schools and nurseries. The company trades in the UK and internationally through a series of catalogue brands including Findel Education, Findel International, Hope Education, Hope Early Years, GLS, Davies Sports, LDA, Philip Harris, UNILAB, NES Arnold, Galt and Step by Step. Findel Education undertakes PFI work in the UK.
Formerly Known As THE COTSWOLD COMPANY LIMITED which was acquired by Findel in 2007 then the brand sold in 2009
Findel Wholesale Limited
2Care4 Limited
Findel Europe B.V.
Findel Sourcing (Shanghai) Limited, Findel Asia Sourcing Limited, Express Gifts Philippines Inc.
Findel Asia Sourcing; sources products for group companies and third parties. Express Gifts Limited Philippines Inc. provides call centre services to Express Gifts Limited.
History
Findel started as a greeting card company and went public in the early 1960s under the name "Fine Art Developments." It spun off its greeting card business in 1997 as a separate company called "Creative Publishing", which was subsequently acquired by Hallmark Cards in 1998. The company changed its name to "Findel plc" in 2000 and then to Studio Retail Group plc in 2019. In August 2010, Findel sold CWIO, Confetti.co.uk and I Want One of Those to The Hut Group In April 2013, Findel sold its healthcare division, NRS, to LDC, and in March 2015 Findel sold its Kleeneze business to CVSL Inc. In February 2016, Findel sold its online sports retailing business, Kitbag, to the leading US provider of licensed sports apparel and merchandise, Fanatics Inc. A snub to Mike Ashley & Sports Direct who had expressed interest in the brand. Sports Direct acquired an 18.9% share in Findel but was unsuccessful in appointing a director. In April 2017, Findel appointed Phil Maudsley as group CEO. In June 2019, Findel announced plans to rename itself as Studio Retail Group, and this change came into effect in July.
Leadership
In 2020, Studio Retail Group PLC nominates Paul Kendrick as CEO of the Group. He will take over from the current CEO, Phil Maudsley, when he retires on 26 March 2021. Kendrick joined the company initially as Studio Retail 's commercial and deputy managing director in May 2016, before being promoted to managing director in April 2017. In December 2019, he was named to the Studio Board.