The co-founders of the UK's Ideal World home shopping business claimed another success today after unveiling a £5m (€5.6m) takeover of their plant and garden equipment retail venture – just two years after they set it up.

The owner of the Ideal World shopping channel was today on track for record profits after sales rose by a fifth in the last two months of 2005.

British home shopping company Ideal Shopping Direct saw its shares soar by nearly a quarter today after it announced trading had exceeded expectations.