26 Matthew Moulding

A few years ago, few people had even heard of The Hut Group but with determination and big ambitions from Moulding it is now opening new sites, linking with major retailers to offer white label services, making acquisitions and winning investment.

It even faced its first negative PR when it put former Findel wedding business Confetti straight into administration after buying it along with gadget etailer I Want One of Those.

Despite this, The Hut’s growth remains strong as it targets a possible float in the coming years.

In April, it raised $14m from investors, one of which was former Matalan chief Angus Monro, who is now on the ecommerce group’s board. It is continuing to look for further acquisition opportunities and is opening specialist websites including a male grooming website and handbag and accessories website. The Hut, which runs Zavvi, is proving it is one to watch in ecommerce and has the sort of growth potential that City investors could really buy into.

However, Moulding will have to make sure he pitches the business well to the City, as the last online business to float, Ocado, had its work cut out proving the strength of its model.