N Brown pre-tax profit jumped 2.6% to £96.4m in its full year due to rising online sales and a “significantly” strengthened customer base.

The fashion group, which owns brands such as Simply Be and Figleaves, delivered a 6% jump in group revenue to £784.7m in the 52 weeks to March 2, 2013.

Online sales surged 15% in the year to £424m, while sales from newly recruited customers rocketed 75% to £8.4m.

And the strong performance has continued since year-end as N Brown revealed like-for-likes have increased 6.1% in the seven weeks to April 20.

N Brown group chairman Andrew Higginson said: “Sales online have reached 55%, and with over a quarter of these now being transacted on a mobile device, we expect this trend to continue.

“With our strategy of ongoing investment the business remains set to continue to grow in the future.”

Outgoing chief executive Alan White, who ends his tenure after 28 years at the business, said: Online sales have maintained their strong upward momentum, our customer base has strengthened significantly and we have made good progress in the US and with our Simply Be/Jacamo concept stores.”

Presenting his last set of results as chief executive of the retailer, White thanked everyone “for their support, enthusiasm and dedication over the years”.

“It is hard to believe that the business I joined in 1985 with sales of £42m could have delivered these results today,” he added, wishing new chief executive Angela Spindler and Higginson the best to “realise the potential of the group”.