{{Short description|British eCommerce company}} {{Infobox company | name = Victorian Plumbing | logo = Victorian Plumbing logo.jpg | traded_as = {{LSE|VIC}} | industry = {{Unbulleted list|Home improvement|Online shopping}} | hq_location = Leyland, Lancashire | hq_location_country = United Kingdom | predecessor = | founder = Mark Radcliffe | key_people = Philip Bowcock (chair)<br />Mark Radcliffe (CEO) | brands = MFI | revenue = {{increase}} £295.7 million (2024)<ref name=ar>{{cite web|url=https://victorianplumbingplc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Victorian-Plumbing-FY24-Full-Year-Results-Preliminary-Announcement.pdf|title=Annual Results 2024|publisher=Victorian Plumbing|access-date=21 July 2025}}</ref> | operating_income = {{decrease}} £11.2 million (2024)<ref name=ar/> | net_income = {{decrease}} £5.5 million (2024)<ref name=ar/> | num_employees = | num_employees_year = | website = {{Unbulleted list|[https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/ victorianplumbing.co.uk] |[https://www.victorianplumbingplc.com/ victorianplumbingplc.com]}} }} '''Victorian Plumbing''' is a British eCommerce company listed on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM).<ref name="FT1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/d7376d10-655b-4942-b5c1-82a2ae9ec0af|title=Victorian Plumbing IPO marks biggest debut on London's junior market|date=2021-06-22|access-date=2021-09-29|website=Financial Times|last=Eley|first=Johnathan}}</ref>
==History== The company was founded by Mark Radcliffe from his parents' shed in Merseyside in 2000.<ref name="LiverpoolEcho">{{Cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/scousers-bathroom-business-started-parents-20878140|title=Scouser's bathroom business he started in parents' shed now worth £1bn|date=2021-06-23|access-date=2021-09-29|website=Liverpool Echo|last=Nicholson|first=Abigail}}</ref>
In 2016, the High Court of Justice ordered the company to pay £1.75 million to its online competitor, Victoria Plum, in a trademark infringement dispute.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kbbreview.com/20050/news/victoria-plum-receives-1-75m-from-rival-over-trademark-battle/|title=Victoria Plum receives £1.75m from rival over trademark battle|publisher=KBB Review|date=17 December 2018|access-date=21 July 2025}}</ref>
On 22 June 2021, the company floated on the Alternative Investment Market<ref name="LiverpoolEcho"/> with a market capitalisation of £850 million.<ref name="FT1"/> Its founder divested £212 million worth of shares, reducing his share to 46%.<ref name="VoxMarkets">{{Cite web|last=Morgan|first=Francesca|date=2021-06-23|title=Victorian Plumbing makes history as biggest ever float on AIM|url=https://www.voxmarkets.co.uk/articles/victorian-plumbing-makes-history-as-biggest-ever-float-on-aim--3bbba8b/|access-date=2021-09-29|website=Vox Markets}}</ref> Radcliffe's brother and mother owned a 20% stake between them.<ref name="Times"/>
In May 2024, Victorian Plumbing acquired its online competitor Victoria Plum for £22.5 million, just over six months after Victoria Plum's pre-pack administration sale. This included the MFI brand. The company closed Victoria Plum a few months later, in October 2024. However they kept the MFI brand with the intention of relaunching it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-20 |title=Victorian Plumbing buys Victoria Plum in £22.5m deal |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9rry703vyko |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Georgia |date=2024-10-15 |title=Victorian Plumbing to shut rival Victoria Plum following £2m loss - Retail Gazette |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/10/victorian-plumbing-demand/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Aoife |date=2025-05-15 |title=MFI to make high street comeback after almost two decades - Retail Gazette |url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/05/mfi-comeback/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Operations== The organisation employs approximately 540 people across its headquarters in Leyland and Skelmersdale, Lancashire and its premises in Birmingham.<ref name="Times">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/markets/article/the-victorian-plumbing-pipe-dream-that-turned-into-1bn-6lrs7j36h|title=The Victorian Plumbing pipe dream that turned into £1bn|date=2021-06-02|access-date=2021-09-29|website=The Times|last=Armstrong|first=Ashley}}</ref>
==Sponsorship==
On 6 June 2023, the company announced that it would become the principal shirt sponsor of EFL League One team Bolton Wanderers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2023/june/victorian-plumbing-become-new-principal-partner/|title= Victorian Plumbing Become New Principal Partner|publisher= Bolton Wanderers FC|date=6 June 2023|access-date=21 July 2025}}</ref>
The deal was extended in December 2025, ensuring Victorian Plumbing would continue to be Bolton's shirt sponsor until the end of the 2028–29 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victorian Plumbing Commits Its Future to Bolton Wanderers with New Deal {{!}} Bolton Wanderers FC |url=https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/victorian-plumbing-commits-its-future-bolton-wanderers-new-deal |access-date=2026-03-03 |website=www.bwfc.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>
In 2024, Victorian Plumbing announced its involvement in snooker through a partnership with the World Snooker Tour. It also became the title sponsor of the UK Championship, one of the snooker's Triple Crown event.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tour |first=World Snooker |date=2025-10-28 |title=Victorian Plumbing Returns As Title Partner Of Snooker’s UK Championship |url=https://www.wst.tv//news/2025/october/28/victorian-plumbing-returns-as-title-partner-of-snooker-s-uk-championship-/ |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=World Snooker Tour |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Plumbing materials companies Category:British companies established in 2000 Category:Home improvement companies of the United Kingdom Category:Companies based in Lancashire