Asos talks fulfilment centre plans as business booms

Online fashion retailer Asos will begin automation of its US fulfilment centre this year.

It has also signed a lease for a fourth fulfilment centre, situated in Lichfield, UK.

Asos made the announcements as it reported a surge in sales during the four months ending in December.

Group sales rose to £1.3 billion over the four months, up 23% from the year before. A key factor was an especially strong performance in the UK, where sales rose 36% to £554.1 million.

In the EU and US, Asos recorded an increase of 18 and 17% respectively. In total, revenue for the period stood at £1.36 billion.

Nick Beighton, CEO, commented: “We are really pleased with the strong performance we have delivered, which is testament to both the strength of our multi-brand model and the hard work of our people.”

“We have continued to execute well and deliver for our customers, whilst investing into growing our business and driving further efficiency through a strong operational grip.

He added that, given the uncertainty associated with the coronavirus and the impact on customers’ lives, the pureplay’s cautious outlook for the second half of the year remains unchanged.

“However, the strength of our performance gives us confidence in our continued progress towards capturing the global opportunity ahead,” Beighton said.

He also flagged that Brexit would cost the company around £15 million this year in rules-of-origin tariffs.

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