Figleaves to hit the high street

Lingerie e-tailer Figleaves.com plans a presence on the high street within three years.

Chief executive Michael Ross revealed the ambition at a recent Royal Mail-sponsored round table on multi-channel retail. He said Figleaves would hit the high street as a franchise or in partnership with another retailer, rather than as standalone stores.

He said: 'There are lots of interesting models. People that come into shops could browse through Figleaves' catalogues, look at an online kiosk and then have products delivered to their home or the store for collection.'

Figleaves plans to increase the number of brands it sells from 172 to 500 within five years, with transactional Web sites in seven or eight countries and turnover of£100 million. At present, Figleaves generates annual sales of£18 million.

- According to Royal Mail research, a third of multi-channel retailers do not provide the convenient delivery options that consumers demand, such as to a nominated friend or relative.