Gallery Direct has acquired Art Marketing. With its development strategy of organic expansion and acquisition of selected brands, Gallery has fast become a complete home and outdoor supplier to retail and contract customers. Art Marketing joining the Gallery group will further strengthen the business, bringing deeper expertise to the wall decor category and an opportunity to widen Gallery’s art offering through the skills of the former's in-house artists and designers.
Peter Delaney, Gallery's sales and product director, comments: “We have long admired the Art Marketing business and its ability to produce on-trend artwork, clocks and photo frames, fashioned by talented artists and graphic designers under the guidance of founders Nigel and Anthony Waller. They have created an outstanding business, trading for over 40 years. The quality and depth of their range is industry leading, being the stand-out brand within the wall decor sector.”
Nigel Waller, MD of Art Marketing, is remaining within the Gallery business, and will take a new role as category director for wall decor.
He says: “I am delighted to be joining Gallery, who continue to lead the market in home and outdoor. It is an exciting time, and joining a larger, design-led business will have benefits to our team and customers. Working with our new colleagues, I want to broaden Gallery’s category offer with fresh, new, innovative collections of wall art, clocks, photo frames and decorative mirrors.”
The acquisition comes at a time in which Gallery Direct continues to develop. Former MD Peter Delaney has taken take on the new role of sales and product director, enabling him to "focus on bringing products to the market and driving the sales and marketing functions further within the business". Michael Last, CEO of the Gallery group, will take on the responsibilities of finance, customer service, people and operations, becoming MD of Gallery Direct.
Michael comments: “These changes underpin our ongoing strategy of financial strength and stability, operational excellence and relentless focus on customer service. Importantly, it gives Peter increased time to focus on the development of Gallery’s next generation of products, whilst driving our sales and marketing efforts with our valued customers.
"Over the next few years we are well set to scale and grow our business, and are pleased to welcome Nigel and the Art Marketing team into the Gallery group, to help us on this journey.”
Pictured: Michael Last, Nigel Waller and Peter Delaney
