AURORA FASHIONS, the owner of high-street chains Oasis, Warehouse and Coast, says its new internet sales strategy has generated an incremental sales boost of £1.2 million in the last six weeks, even as clothing retailers are battling to win sales following the milder autumn weather.
The retail group has invested in software that allows items which have sold out on its website to be delivered directly from its network of 765 UK stores.
The approach has been tested in 60 stores during the last six weeks, and online sales volumes have grown 20 per cent in that period due to better availability of best-sellers.
As high-street fashion retailers work hard to close the gap between web and store sales channels, Aurora’s innovation makes it one of the first to fulfil online orders from stores rather than a central warehouse on such a large scale.
“It is tough out there, but these initiatives are helping us keep ahead of the game,” said Mike Shearwood, chief executive of Aurora Fashions, noting the warmer weather meant the retailer has “had to be more promotional than we have been in the past”, on coats and woollens.
He said he expected like-for-like sales to be “flat to slightly positive” in the current year.
– (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2011)
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