Home specialist Fired Earth has continued to make a loss despite increasing customer numbers, its parent company the Aga Rangemaster Group said.

The group, which today reported total revenues up 5% in the first half of this year, expects losses for Fired Earth to reach around £2m this year.

It said that customer engagement for the brand had improved after its new free tile catalogue and kitchen range launch. It said that footfall, web traffic and catalogue requests rose “significantly”.

It added however that despite more, but smaller orders, it continued to be loss making.

The group has appointed an interim managing director and it plans to expand its core tile and paint ranges and develop its kitchen offer.  

Across Aga stores in London and the south east have risen 20%.