30 Ulric Jerome

The Pixmania name may not have the recognition in the UK of Amazon or eBay but the Dixons-owned etailer run by Jerome is a big-hitter.

The Frenchman’s business operates in 26 countries including the UK. Its sites constitute the fourth most visited consumer electronics etailer globally and, along with Dixons.co.uk, generated sales of £921.2m last year - up 14%.

Under Jerome, Pixmania has extended its reach beyond its traditional electronics offer into categories such as sports goods and luggage. Jerome aims to increase the proportion of sales from new categories to 25% within two years, from 10% at present.

He intends Pixmania to be a market leader with authority in any category it enters. He told Retail Week in September: “We see ourselves as a specialist. We only want to be in the top two.”

Ownership of Pixmania has helped Dixons improve its ecommerce operations more generally. Pixmania’s e-merchant platform has been rolled out across Dixons’ sites - including Currys and PC World - bringing improved navigation and product display.

Unlike many etailers, Jerome, who is jokingly referred to as Tom Cruise because of his looks, also has a handful of shops - 17 in countries including France and Spain. There are no plans for UK stores. Jerome doesn’t need them - he already has 1.7 million shoppers here and rising.