About WorldStores
WorldStores is a Consumer company based in Twickenham (United Kingdom) founded in 2008, and was acquired by Dunelm in November 2016. Home and garden products are retailed online by WorldStores. WorldStores has raised $73.93 million across 4 funding rounds from investors including Goldman Sachs, Dunelm and Balderton Capital. The company has 355 employees. WorldStores has completed 1 acquisition, including Kiddicare. WorldStores was last valued at $219.27 million in October 2014. Its focus areas include Retail, Home Improvements, B2C Commerce and Horizontal. Its legal entity is WS (REALISATIONS) LIMITED. Its competitors include Clippings, Houseology and Eporta; 3 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
WorldStores was founded in 2008 in Twickenham, United Kingdom, as an online retailer focused on home and garden items. Products such as furniture, kitchenware, beds, and DIY supplies are offered through the platform. Delivery options including next-day service are provided for many items. Investment support from Balderton Capital, Advent Ventures, and Serena Capital was secured. In November 2016, WS Group and its brands, including WorldStores, were acquired by Dunelm.
- Headquarters Twickenham, United Kingdom
- Employees 355
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsConsumer
- Website worldstores.co.uk
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Dunelm (Nov 2016)
- Legal Name Ws (Realisations) Limited
- Date of Incorporation 20 Apr, 1910
- Jurisdiction MANCHESTER
- Annual Revenue$124.54 M (USD)30as on Jan 31, 2015
- Net Profit-$9.82 M (USD)35as on Jan 31, 2015
- EBITDA-$11.43 M (USD)29as on Jan 31, 2015
- Total Equity Funding$73.93M (USD)
in 4 rounds
- Latest Funding Round$40M (USD), Series D
Oct 2014
- InvestorsGoldman Sachs
& 5 more
- Employee Count355
- Investments & Acquisitions
- Acquired byDunelm
(Nov 2016)
Funding Insights of WorldStores
WorldStores has successfully raised a total of $73.93M across 4 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Series D round of $40 million completed in October 2014. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $73.93M
- Total Rounds 4
- Last Round Series D — $40M
- First Round $4.9M
(Jun 2009)
- Investors Count 5
All 4 funding rounds of WorldStores with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2014 | $40M | Series D | $219.27M | Goldman Sachs | |
| May 2013 | $17M | Series C | $132.67M | Serena | |
| Jun 2011 | $12.03M | Series B | $••••• | Advent Venture Partners | |
| Jun 2009 | $4.9M | Series A | $••••• | Balderton Capital |
| Date | Valuation | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2014 | $219.27M | •••••••• |
| May 2013 | $132.67M | •••••••• |
| Jun 2011 | $••••• | •••••••• |
| Jun 2009 | $••••• | •••••••• |
Full valuation and stage history of WorldStores
Every valuation point, the growth-stage changes (minicorn, soonicorn, unicorn) and the dates behind them require an active premium plan.
- All valuation points
- Stage changes
- Dates
- Exports
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Last known valuation $219.27M (Oct 2014). 6 investors in total: 5 institutional and 1 angel.
Investors in WorldStores
WorldStores has secured backing from 6 investors, including venture fund and angel investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Goldman Sachs, Dunelm and Balderton Capital.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Multistage venture capital investments are focused on technology sectors. | 2000 | balderton.com | London, United Kingdom | |
Investment banking services are delivered across multiple financial sectors. | 1869 | goldmansachs.com | New York, United States | |
Serena is engaged in venture capital investments for tech startups. | serena.vc | Paris, France | ||
VC & PE firm | adventventures.com | London, United Kingdom | ||
PF Paul Fisher | unknown_a29b740b27934977b | |||
Home furnishings and in-store cafes are retailed by Dunelm. | 1979 | dunelm.com | Syston, United Kingdom |
Investor details for WorldStores
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Investments & Acquisitions by WorldStores
WorldStores has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 1 company. Notable acquisitions include Kiddicare.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baby products are retailed through superstores and online platforms. | kiddicare.com | Peterborough, United Kingdom | 1974 | Sep 2014 | $6.5M |
Complete acquisition details for WorldStores
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
- Acquired stakes
- Deal sources
- Complete history
- Exports
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of WorldStores
6 dated milestones of WorldStores across 8 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
Competitors of WorldStores
WorldStores has 3 listed competitors in our database, 3 of them funded. They include Clippings, Houseology and Eporta.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| clippings.com | 2011 | London, United Kingdom | $21.3M | 25 | Multi-category home improvement products are retailed online. | |
| houseology.com | 2009 | Glasgow, United Kingdom | $3.87M | 29 | Interior Designer retail store | |
| eporta.com | 2014 | London, United Kingdom | $13.84M | 37 | Members only marketplace for home decor & furnishing |
Detailed competitors of WorldStores
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
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Web traffic of WorldStores
Websites that share an audience with WorldStores (worldstores.co.uk).
Websites whose visitors overlap most with WorldStores. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
furniture123.co.uk | furniture123.co.uk | 100% | #54,796 | – | |
fads.co.uk | fads.co.uk | 91% | #6,730,009 | – | |
furnitureinfashion.net | furnitureinfashion.net | 89% | #169,719 | – | |
homeessentials.co.uk | homeessentials.co.uk | 71% | #232,530 | – | |
stevesblindsandwallpaper.com | stevesblindsandwallpaper.com | 56% | – | ||
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 9 similar websites and full traffic analytics for WorldStores
The complete similar-websites list, audience overlap and engagement analytics require an active premium plan.
- 9 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
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Frequently Asked Questions about WorldStores
WorldStores was founded in 2008 and raised its 1st funding round 1 year after it was founded.
WorldStores is headquartered in Twickenham, United Kingdom.
WorldStores is a funded company, having raised a total of $73.93M across 4 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series A of $4.9M, raised on Jun 2009.
WorldStores has 355 employees.
Annual revenue of WorldStores is $124.54M as on Jan 31, 2015.
WorldStores was founded in 2008 in Twickenham, United Kingdom, as an online retailer focused on home and garden items. Products such as furniture, kitchenware, beds, and DIY supplies are offered through the platform. Delivery options including next-day service are provided for many items. Investment support from Balderton Capital, Advent Ventures, and Serena Capital was secured. In November 2016, WS Group and its brands, including WorldStores, were acquired by Dunelm.
WorldStores's top competitors include Clippings, Eporta and Houseology.
WorldStores has made 1 acquisition, including Kiddicare.
WorldStores has 6 investors. Key investors include Goldman Sachs, Dunelm, Balderton Capital, Serena, and Paul Fisher.
The valuation of WorldStores is $219.27M as of Oct 2014.
WorldStores operates through Ws (Realisations) Limited.
Yes. WorldStores was acquired by Dunelm in November 2016.