Online furniture retailer, Temple & Webster, is integrating Milan Direct into its e-commerce platform by the end of the month.
Twelve months after acquiring the online furniture store, T&W’s move will see Milan’s range of furniture for the home and office become a permanent private label available on Temple’s platform.
Milan will maintain its own product supply and inventory operations. Key personnel will relocate to Sydney, including founder Dean Ramler, who will continue to manage the Milan Direct brand and private label operations.
The e-commerce furniture company said the integration supports the next phase of its revised business plan outlined in April 2016.
“Milan Direct has pioneered the import of designer furniture for sale online for the past 10 years and is now one of the largest private label brands in our category,” said Mark Coulter, CEO, Temple & Webster.
“Over the past six months, T&W has moved from predominantly selling homewares, to a point where furniture now makes up 50 per cent of sales.
“Moving Milan Direct’s private label range and product sourcing and private label capabilities to sit under the Temple & Webster platform is the natural next step for the group.
“The move will also deliver an enhanced user experience by offering shoppers the added convenience of purchasing all their home furnishing needs from the one destination.”
Coulter said the move will strengthen the financial position of the e-commerce company, and improve profitability by removing ‘unnecessary duplication of core business operations and re-directing key resources’.
“While we are planning for some impact to sales in the immediate term, we anticipate that most of Milan Direct’s revenues will transition to the Temple & Webster, given that we will be migrating the entire Milan Direct private label range to the site,” he said.
The Milan Direct office in Melbourne will be closed as part of the consolidation of operations.
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