Retail chain Ann Summers today said sales at its stores raced 28% ahead in the past year as customers snapped up saucy lingerie and raunchy sex toys.
The group, which has a 62-strong chain of shops in the UK, said it recorded overall turnover of £85m for the year to 30 June.
The sales includes contribution from its stores, over the Internet, through Ann Summers parties at people’s homes and through the Knickerbox lingerie chain.
Sales from its retail stores on a like-for-like basis – which strips out new store openings – rose 28%. Internet sales were up 71%.
Chief executive Jacqueline Gold said she expected profit figures to come in around £9.5m for the year, which would be more than double the previous year.
“2000/2001 has been one of our best years ever and is proof that the British people just can’t get enough sex,” she said.
She continued: “There is not just one reason (for the rise). First is the overall increasing brand recognition, we are to a degree being driven by our own success.
“But it is also changing attitudes – people are more relaxed about spicing up their sex lives.”
She said there had been a significant increase in sales of sex toys, while its ‘Rampant Rabbit’ vibrator had been helped by “huge publicity” from Sex in the City.
She added the type of items sold were seasonal, with high levels of sexy underwear sold around Valentine’s Day, novelty pouches popular at Christmas, and swimwear sold during the summer.
Although 70% of people going into the stores are women, Gold said numbers of men visiting were increasing.
“We are seeing a definite increase in men coming in.”
Gold said she thought there was potential to expand the chain to “100 or even 150” shops in the UK.
At present the group has 62 shops in the UK, stores in Ireland and the Channel Islands and is opening its first stores in Spain this summer.
She said the Knickerbox chain, which the group bought out of administration two years ago, was just going into profit. The chain has 22 stores.
“Whenever you take over a company that’s losing £5m there’s a lot required to turn it around,” she said.
As Ann Summers is privately owned, it did not disclose its profit figures today. Its accounts for the last year have to be recorded at Companies House by 30 April 2003.
EGi News 09/07/02
