Bluebella appoints new board to spearhead US expansion

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Mar 8, 2017

British lingerie brand Bluebella has tapped two retail heavyweights to drive sales and help plan its upcoming expansion into America, it announced on Wednesday.

The award-winning lingerie and nightwear brand has appointed experienced retail investor Richard Sims as new chairman and Eva Pascoe is new non-executive director.

Sims was part of a small team of executives that undertook a management buyout of four lossmaking brands from Arcadia in 2001. He has also invested and held non-executive roles in other successful retail start-ups including childrenswear label Polarn O. Pyret and mid-market womenswear brand Mint Velvet.

Pascoe has more than 20 years of experience in e-commerce as former managing director of Topshop Online and as a partner in The Retail Practice where she is a consultant to blue chip clients looking to expand their online presence.

"I have been working with Richard and Eva for some time now and they bring a unique and incredibly valuable breadth of knowledge and expertise to the business. I am delighted they are now joining our board,” commented Bluebella founder and CEO Emily Bendell.

They join at a moment of growth for the brand following a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised nearly £1 million in December. Bluebella is now preparing to launch in the US in the autumn with key retailers Nordstrom and Bare Necessities, and direct to customers via a dedicated US e-commerce site.

"I have been helping with the strategy for Bluebella for several months and it's a fantastic opportunity to invest in and join the talented team of Bluebella. I'm excited to be able to help Bluebella grow the brand to become respected and established in its market," said Richard Sims.

The company expects to reach sales of £4.7 million in 2017.