Asos H1 sales soar

Fashion and beauty etailer Asos has recorded a 93 percent leap in sales for the first half. Chief executive Nick Robertson said the surge was the result of investments made last year in the company's buying and merchandising teams and the "subsequent increase in the number of products available from 1,500, 12 months ago, to 4,000 now." The number of registered users also increased, from 675,000 last year to more than 1 million this year. Robertson said all departments had registered "strong" growth, especially the branded and footwear divisions. Asos continued to invest in its infrastructure in order to support future growth plans. Gains from the investment will be evident in interim results, which will be released on 28 November.

Although the firm has to contend with "much tougher comparables ahead (after adjusting for the impact of the Buncefield fuel depot explosion)", the peak Christmas trading period also still lies ahead. Therefore, Robertson is confident that the full year results will be in line with market expectations.