The Hut Group teams with Hearst for shopping venture

Online retailer The Hut Group has teamed up with the

publisher of Cosmopolitan and Elle magazines on a new online shopping venture.

The new partnership with Hearst Magazines UK will enable customers to shop for items at The UK Edit, a niche range of magazine branded online stores.

Launching with Men’s Health and Digital Spy, more stores will come on line throughout Spring 2013 from brands such as Cosmopolitan, Handbag, and Elle. Further titles will be added to the portfolio through 2013.

Hearst Magazines UK, chief executive Arnaud de Puyfontaine said: "Providing our audiences with a premium shopping experience based on the advice, trust and expertise of our editors is a natural step for our brands, and The UK Edit fits perfectly into our growing stable of world-class magazine brands, digital editions, innovative apps, mobile platforms and premium websites."

The Hut Group divisional CEO Richard Chapple added: "This partnership brings a fantastic opportunity for both parties to drive incremental revenues by bringing our assets together.

"Hearst Magazines UK audiences will benefit from The Hut Group’s expanding portfolio of brands within multiple product categories, with market leading shopping and fulfilment options, while The Hut Group will enjoy increased traffic and volume, driving economies of scale which benefit the whole group.

"What excites me a great deal is the extra insight and data we’ll have as partners to understand shopping and decision making habits of the UK’s most affluent consumers."