Former Hobbs boss Nick Samuel has joined ethical e-tailer Adili as non-executive chairman, as it reported a loss of £1.58 million its first full-year results as a listed company.

Sales for the year to April 30 rose to£354,000, from£66,000 the previous year.

Adili chief executive Adam Smith said: “While the business is still young, having been trading for only 24 months, the group has achieved strong sales growth over the year that has continued since the year-end and has made significant investment in key areas that will drive future growth.”

Commenting on his appointment, Samuel said: “The business is at an exciting stage in its development and I think my retailing experience will allow me to play a very useful role in assisting its growth.

“The future for Adili looks very bright as the importance of ethical product sourcing moves up consumers’ agenda. Adili is already establishing itself as a leading name for ethical clothing and accessories, despite being a relatively young business.”

Adili now sells 53 ethical brands on its site across 756 lines. It will expand its offer to 80 brands across 1,500 lines by Christmas.