Top sales help Figleaves to UK profit for first time

Figleaves.com's UK business has swung into the black for the first time, on the back of bumper sales.

In the year to June 30, sales surged from£7.1 million to£12.2 million.

Without revealing exact numbers, it said it had turned profitable in the UK.

Chief executive Michael Ross said sales growth was driven by the increase in confidence in online retailing. 'More people are buying online, and with Figleaves being the dominant player for multi-branded lingerie we're going to benefit.'

The focus for the coming year will be consolidation, with the number of brands Figleaves sells set to fall. 'We are looking to rationalise our brand portfolio,' said Ross. 'Because we're unconstrained by floor space, there's an attraction to sell everything. Although in some areas we're massively increasing our sales, there are other areas in which we might not be selling so well.'

He said Figleaves would continue to focus on its core categories of swimwear, lingerie and nightwear. It recently signed an exclusive deal to sell J-Lo's new lingerie range.

Figleaves is in the process of setting up localised Web sites internationally and is likely to target Germany and Japan next. The British e-tailer sells in 66 countries, but the only localised sites are in the UK and the US.

The US division is not yet profitable.