THG and its demerged, now-privately-owned THG Ingenuity technology arm, are having a busy year and Thursday saw an announcement from each of them.

In the case of THG PLC, the profitable London Stock Exchange-listed business that owns Lookfantatsic, Cult Beauty and Dermstore, said that following the transfer to the LSE’s equity shares (commercial companies) category in January, FTSE 250 index inclusion is anticipated as part of the FTSE Russell quarterly review.

That’s an important move. The blue-chip FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 between them make up the largest LSE-listed businesses. Being part of the FTSE 250 will give THG’s share a higher profile and mean that FTSE 250 index-tracking funds will have to buy its shares.

Its inclusion in the index is expected to become effective on or around 21 March with the company saying it “represents a further important step to support the company’s strategy through raising its visibility”.

CEO Matthew Moulding said: “Our anticipated inclusion in the FTSE 250 marks an important moment in THG’s evolution following the demerger of THG Ingenuity. As a global beauty, health and wellness consumer brands group, we continue to make significant progress against our strategic priorities.”

As for Ingenuity, it continues to build its business post-demerger. It was only demerged and taken private as a standalone business at the turn of the year. THG had raised £95.4 million to facilitate the move, including £10 million from Moulding and £10 million from Frasers Group billionaire Mike Ashley with THG’s co-founder and COO John Gallemore becoming Ingenuity’s executive president.

The Thursday announcement saw Ingenuity saying that THG Commerce, its complete commerce solution, has launched a new marketplace management system, “driving profitability and growth for e-commerce brands”.  

The system “extends a brand’s commerce ecosystem by connecting them with third party marketplaces including TikTok, Meta, Amazon and other marketplace aggregators, providing a unified dashboard that enables brands to manage product listings, orders, payments and logistics from a single interface”.  

The aim is for brands to have “a seamless, cost-effective way to access new markets, audiences and thereby additional sales revenue” and “empower e-commerce brands to amplify their commerce solutions, while maintaining complete control over not only their brand value, but pricing, promotions and product ranges”.  

It integrates seamlessly with THG Fulfil, which provides fulfilment and courier management services, engineered to improve customer retention. 

Ingenuity’s CEO Richard Ward said: “Marketplaces are the fastest-growing retail channel globally, offering consumers variety, competitive pricing and convenience. Our new marketplace management system is game-changing. It allows us to support brands through our complete commerce solution, THG Commerce, and ensure they can effortlessly navigate the e-commerce world across a multitude of platforms, increasing both consumer touchpoints and revenue opportunities. 

“By doing so, we also ensure consumers gain access to a wider array of products and exceptional customer experiences. We look forward to working with brands and retailers, empowering them to fire up their growth potential and profitability.”