Beate Uhse eyes UK dominance

German sex store group Beate Uhse has launched its first UK shop and is planning to take on Ann Summers for supremacy in the erotic lingerie market.

The retailer made its debut at Sutton in Surrey, and says that once trading has been assessed, there are resources to open more stores quickly.

Chief financial officer Otto Lindemann said: 'We want to be the number one in five or six years in the world in selling erotic and sex products.

Given the resources, it wouldn't be a problem to roll out one store every three weeks.'

The retailer has more than 200 shops across Europe, most of which are aimed at men. In April, it opened the first of a new, softer store-type, targeted at women and couples, in Norway and has since opened three more.

The UK store is its fifth, and sells mainly lingerie and novelty sex toys.

Beate Uhse is concentrating on international growth to reduce its reliance on Germany, where the economy is worsening. 'Seventy-four per cent of our sales are from Germany and that's too much, which is why we want to grow the UK and France and raise international sales,' said Lindemann.

The retailer will open stores in Spain next year.