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About us

Our history

As our customers’ shopping habits have changed, so have we. We’ve consistently reinvented ourselves over more than 100 years.

1861

Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones formed first mail order catalogues in 1861

Historic magazine covers

1890

Kay & Co, our oldest catalogue brand, founded

1930s

Littlewoods Home Shopping launched by the Moores family in Liverpool

The very group website on a mobile screen

1990s

First Littlewoods ecommerce business launched during online shopping’s infancy

2003

Shop Direct created from merger of Littlewoods and Great Universal Stores

In Republic of Ireland, Family Album and Kays Catalogue merge to become Littlewoods Ireland

2009

Very.co.uk launched to focus on online shopping generation

2014

Recorded a profit following a decade of losses

2015

Cut the catalogue, went 100% digital and merged heritage brands into Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com

2020

Became The Very Group to reflect flagship consumer brand, Very, and launched new highly automated fulfilment centre, Skygate

2022

In the Republic of Ireland, Littlewoods Ireland rebranded to Very