Overview
Very is one of the UK's largest online retailers, selling fashion, beauty, home, furniture, electricals, toys and sports products at very.co.uk, combined with flexible payment through its own credit accounts. It belongs to The Very Group, which also owns Littlewoods and Very Ireland. For a brand that wants to reach UK families online, Very is a major channel, though one that is going through ownership changes.
Who is behind Very
Very.co.uk launched in 2009 and became the flagship brand of the former Shop Direct, which renamed itself The Very Group in 2019. The group is based in Liverpool. It was owned by the Barclay family for two decades until November 2025, when the investment firm Carlyle, previously its main lender, took ownership through a restructuring for a nominal GBP 1. The group serves around 4.4 million active customers and reported record adjusted EBITDA of GBP 307 million in the year to June 2025, on sales of about GBP 2.1 billion. In the 39 weeks to March 2026, retail revenue from Very was about GBP 1 billion, roughly flat, while group retail sales fell 1.6%. Carlyle launched a sale of the group in 2026 at an asking price of around GBP 2 billion, but the process was reported to be close to being scrapped after bidders, including JD.com, did not meet the price.
What the shopper sees
Very offers a very wide range of branded and own-brand products, with home, sports and casual womenswear among its strongest categories. In September 2025 it launched a new own-brand range, The Very Collection. Many customers use Very Pay, its credit account, to spread the cost of purchases, and financial services are a large part of the group's revenue.
How brands can work with Very
Very works with brands mainly as a retailer that buys products for its website. A brand approaching Very should be ready with:
- Products in its key categories, such as home, electricals, toys, beauty, sports and fashion.
- Strong product content and imagery.
- Supply and delivery that meet Very's requirements.
- UK compliance for each category.
- A view of the company's ownership situation and payment terms.
Why Very matters for brands
Very reaches millions of UK households, many of whom value flexible payment, and it remains one of the UK's largest pure online retailers.
How eBrands looks at Very
eBrands works with brands on marketplaces and retail channels across Europe and North America. If you want to see whether Very fits your UK plans, we are happy to talk it through. See also our Littlewoods page.
Useful links
Ready to go global?
Let us show you how eBrands can take your brand to every market that matters.