Five to watch: Nick Kandola and Ryan Kandola, Love Shopping Direct

Nick Kandola and Ryan Kandola, 30 and 32
Company: Love Shopping Direct Ltd
Web: www.ledbulbs.co.uk, www.airconcentre.co.uk

Love Shopping Direct’s concept is a simple one – use wholesaler buying power to sell lighting and DIY products to consumers at near-rock bottom prices. By cutting out retail middlemen and passing on substantial savings to the end user (sometimes as much as 80%), the company has been building a strong following. It seems so obvious but the Birmingham-based duo’s offering claims to be the first of its kind in the sector, which has traditionally relied on an extended business model – and this is reflected in impressive growth figures. Revenues reached £5.1m in June this year, from £2.3m in February 2011. The company operates four – soon to be seven – e-commerce sites, each catering to specific markets, with customers ranging from domestic buyers to start-ups and public sector bodies. And with plans for European expansion and a large-scale marketing campaign in the coming months, Love Shopping Direct is definitely one to watch for next year.