ASOS, Britain’s largest online fashion retailer, has expanded into Australia with the launch of ASOS.com/au.
The standalone Australian website is set to expand ASOS’s global fan base of 16-34 year olds, which currently attracts over 13m unique visitors to the company’s online platforms each month.
Since launching the business in the early days of e-commerce, in June 2000, founder Nick Robertson has grown the business from three employees to over 1,500 staff.
The company faced closure in 2005, after 45% of its stock was destroyed by
fire near the Hemel Hempstead warehouse, causing 19,000 orders to be refunded and damage to stock worth £3.8m. Yet it recovered to post sales of £325m in April 2011.
The launch of the Australian portal is the latest move in ASOS’s bold international strategy, under which it recently launched standalone websites in France, Germany and the US. The new website will be tailored to the Australian market, with culturally relevant marketing, free shipping and local returns, and pricing in Australian dollars.
International business now accounts for over 50% of the company’s turnover, with orders delivered to 160 countries worldwide and international growth up 167% on last year. Following the Australian launch, ASOS will introduce standalone websites in Italy and Spain before the end of 2011.
Nick Robertson, ASOS founder and CEO said: “We knew early on the enormity of the growth opportunity abroad and that our customers wanted their own ASOS experience.
“We’re more than just an online shop. Our aim is to be an online destination for all things fashion.”