The acquisition of Koodos was announced last week, and adds a designer brand fashion clearance channel to e-trader’s online trade marketplace, stockshifters.com. This marketplace allows retailers and manufacturers to sell bulk secondary stock (clearance and overstock) direct to trade buyers. Trade buyers range from small independent traders, typically reselling via online and physical market stalls, through to large distributors and wholesale businesses. e-trader does not hold stock or provide fulfilment. Koodos will provide the platform with an established consumer brand, a significant database of customers and relationships with over 200 fashion brands. The deal size was undisclosed, but involved a part cash, part share consideration.

e-trader group started life as Business Auctions, a software development company backed by Elderstreet. The firm was acquired by Harvey Sinclair in November 2008 as a result of an MBI after which it shifted focus to the clearance and overstock market, leveraging its software platform and creating a marketplace strategy.