Outsources Call Centre

Ideal Shopping Direct PLC
08 May 2003


                         Ideal Shopping Direct Plc

                        Outsources its Call Centre


The board of Ideal Shopping Direct announces that following a review of its
operations from a cost and quality perspective and having considered ways to
manage costs and improve operational performance in order to help secure its
growth, it has decided to close its UK order taking call centre operation and
outsource this function to a third party operation based in India whose
specialist skills lie specifically in this type of business. This is aimed at
ensuring a consistent quality of service in this crucial interface with the
Company's customers as well as providing maximum cost efficiency and flexibility
for the Company.

All other roles associated with the call centre, such as customer services, will
remain at the Company's Peterborough premises.

Paul Wright, Chairman, commented: "These changes only relate to our order taking
operations and the decision has been taken in the light of commercial and
competitive pressures inherent in our growing business. We have found it
increasingly difficult to attract both the quality and quantity of call centre
staff we need to cover all shifts on a 'going forward' basis, given that we run
a round the clock business. Staff turnover in this important area of our
business has historically been and continues to run at 45% - a level that is
putting unacceptable levels of stress on the efficiency and good working of this
important customer facing operation.

The Company has an ongoing recruitment process and expects to fill approximately
50 new positions in other areas of the business in the near future. It is the
Board's firm intention to continue to grow the business by taking advantage of
the many opportunities that are currently existing in the direct retailing
market and we would hope to create at least as many new jobs as those that are
being transferred to India within the Company in Peterborough as we continue to
grow."


8 May 2003



Enquiries:

Paul Wright, Ideal Shopping Direct Plc                        08700 780704
Adam Hart, KBC Peel Hunt Ltd                                  020 7418 8900
Adrian Shaw, Ikon Associates                                  07979 900733



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