From Sock Specialists to Global Marketplace Partners
Our Origins
I’m Connor Doughty, Managing Director of Pontivia Commerce. My family has been in the sock, knitwear, and hosiery trade in Leicestershire for five generations. In the 1980s, my dad, David Doughty, founded Mark Shane, a sock factory he grew from his garage with the help of my grandad. They built sock machines from scratch, producing socks sold on local markets.
As the factory grew, my eldest brothers helped as teenagers, pressing and boarding socks after school. It wasn’t glamorous, but it showed the grit, resilience, and family effort it takes to build a brand — something many UK family businesses will recognise.
From Sock Specialists to Global Marketplace Partners
Our Origins
I’m Connor Doughty, Managing Director of Pontivia Commerce. My family has been in the sock, knitwear, and hosiery trade in Leicestershire for five generations. In the 1980s, my dad, David Doughty, founded Mark Shane, a sock factory he grew from his garage with the help of my grandad. They built sock machines from scratch, producing socks sold on local markets.
As the factory grew, my eldest brothers helped as teenagers, pressing and boarding socks after school. It wasn’t glamorous, but it showed the grit, resilience, and family effort it takes to build a brand — something many UK family businesses will recognise.
The Spare Room Becomes a Business
The Birth of Sock Snob
By the mid-2000s, retail was shifting. My mum, Lindsay Doughty, founded Sock Snob from the front room of our home. She took on every role: answering emails, negotiating with couriers, and packing orders late at night. What began as a side project quickly became a brand in its own right.
To outsiders, socks may have seemed simple, but to us they represented decades of family effort. Sock Snob carried forward the same spirit of hard work and resourcefulness that had always defined us.
The Spare Room Becomes a Business
The Birth of Sock Snob
By the mid-2000s, retail was shifting. My mum, Lindsay Doughty, founded Sock Snob from the front room of our home. She took on every role: answering emails, negotiating with couriers, and packing orders late at night. What began as a side project quickly became a brand in its own right.
To outsiders, socks may have seemed simple, but to us they represented decades of family effort. Sock Snob carried forward the same spirit of hard work and resourcefulness that had always defined us.
Scaling and Modernising
A New Generation
As Sock Snob grew, we had to learn how to manage scale. What started with a few parcels turned into thousands, then hundreds of thousands. We faced new challenges: working out fulfilment at scale, dealing with Brexit and cross-border trade, building technical integrations, and maintaining compliance.
Alongside that, we expanded into new product ranges, launched in-house brands like THMO and Dr.Socks, and partnered with established names such as Heat Holders and Stanley. It was a long way from selling socks on market stalls, but the experience taught us what it really takes to succeed online. Today, Sock Snob ships over 600,000 parcels a year, proving that even simple products can thrive with the right strategy.
Scaling and Modernising
A New Generation
As Sock Snob grew, we had to learn how to manage scale. What started with a few parcels turned into thousands, then hundreds of thousands. We faced new challenges: working out fulfilment at scale, dealing with Brexit and cross-border trade, building technical integrations, and maintaining compliance.
Alongside that, we expanded into new product ranges, launched in-house brands like THMO and Dr.Socks, and partnered with established names such as Heat Holders and Stanley. It was a long way from selling socks on market stalls, but the experience taught us what it really takes to succeed online. Today, Sock Snob ships over 600,000 parcels a year, proving that even simple products can thrive with the right strategy.
Built From Our Story, Designed for Yours
Built for Brands
Pontivia is different because it’s built on lived experience. We know the nerves of your first sale on a new platform, the stress of price competition, and the pride of your first five-star review. We’ve worked the late nights, dealt with price wars, and carried the pressure of ensuring a family’s livelihood in every order.
That’s why we treat products not as SKUs but as someone’s pride & joy. With Pontivia, you don’t just get a service provider — you get a partner who understands the realities of building, protecting, and scaling a brand.
Let’s go bridge those gaps.
— Connor Doughty
Managing Director, Pontivia Commerce
Built From Our Story, Designed for Yours
Built for Brands
Pontivia is different because it’s built on lived experience. We know the nerves of your first sale on a new platform, the stress of price competition, and the pride of your first five-star review. We’ve worked the late nights, dealt with price wars, and carried the pressure of ensuring a family’s livelihood in every order.
That’s why we treat products not as SKUs but as someone’s pride & joy. With Pontivia, you don’t just get a service provider — you get a partner who understands the realities of building, protecting, and scaling a brand.
Let’s go bridge those gaps.
— Connor Doughty
Managing Director, Pontivia Commerce
We've Been There - And Now We're Here to Help You Get There
Our Vision
We know the growing pains, the international headaches, and the platform problems — because we’ve lived them. That’s why we built Pontivia to take care of what brands don’t have time to master —
so they can focus on building, innovating, and connecting with customers.
Whether you’re selling socks, skincare, or something entirely new — if your product deserves global reach, we’ll help you get there.
Building Bridges Between Brands & Buyers
Why Pontivia?
Building Bridges Between Brands & Buyers
Named after the Latin roots for bridges and roads, Pontivia was created to do just that — build paths between great products and global marketplaces, removing the complexity of cross-border eCommerce.
We aren’t just logistics or listing management. We’re an extension of your brand — bringing the tools, people, and infrastructure you need to scale through, wholesale distribution or via 3PL.
Whether you want us to fulfil orders or prefer to do it yourself, we plug your business into 40+ retail channels across the UK, EU, and US.
Senior Leadership Team
