notonthehighstreet.com appoints retail entrepreneur Darren Shapland chairman

Online marketplace notonthehighstreet.com, co-founded by Young Gun Holly Tucker, has appointed Poundland chairman Darren Shapland as its new chairman.

Launched in 2006 by Tucker and co-founder Sophie Cornish, the website is an online platform for over 5,000 small and creative British businesses to gain exposure and sell their products.

The former chairman of Topps Tiles and Maplin Electronics, Shapland has almost 30 years of experience in the retail space – including positions at Sainsbury’s and Arcadia.

The move comes after Tesco’s former online director, Simon Belsham, was appointed CEO of Notonthehighstreet in March.

The company has grown from revenue sof £134,000 in its first year of trading to £127m in 2014 which Shapland and Belsham will be keen to build on over the coming year. 

Shapland commented: “I am very pleased to be joining notonthehighstreet.com. The group goes from strength to strength and Belsham’s recent arrival signals a new era of progression for the business, building on the original entrepreneurial vision of the founders.

“I am fascinated by successful retail and ecommerce organisations and this really is one of the pioneers in its field and a true champion of small, creative businesses and entrepreneurs.”

Belsham continued:

“This is an exciting day for us. Shapland’s significant track record and CV speak for themselves. His career experience and passion for retail will be beneficial to our business and the next phase in our ambitious growth plans.”