Shop Direct grabs slice of outsize market
Claer Barrett, 22:44, Monday 10 January 2011
Online and home shopping group Shop Direct is planning to take on outsize women’s clothing retailer N Brown with the launch of its new “isme” range, which will offer fashionable clothing for the more mature, fuller-figured customer in sizes up to a UK 32 (a 50-in waist measurement).
Like Shop Direct’s other brands, which include Littlewoods and Very.co.uk, isme will be sold online and through catalogues.
“We stood back and really looked at N Brown, as the internet and catalogue market has this larger, maturer lady all to themselves,” said mark Newton-Jones, group chief executive.
“There’s a gap in the market, and we have the time and resources to invest in this new brand.”
The company, owned by Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay, reported a like-for-like group sales increase of 7 per cent including VAT over the festive season.
Mr Newton-Jones said sales of knitwear and winter coats had “taken off” in the cold weather.
A 30 per cent like-for-like rise in toy sales was driven by demand for traditional family games such as Cluedo and Battleships, he said, as well as the “it toy” of the season, a Buzz Lightyear jet pack.
