ASOS - Brief History

Who are ASOS?

History - below is the history time time taken from the ASOS Website. It's a really good year by year breakdown which will quickly get you up to speed with who ASOS are and what they offer.

Their mobile site was launched back in 2010 and iPhone and iPad device shortly after in 2011. Its interesting to note though that the Android App wasn't launched until recently so a good 2 year gap. Considering the huge market that android represents this was obviously a necessary decision that in hindsight perhaps should have been considered sooner!

http://www.asosplc.com/our-story.aspx - accessed 21/11/13

2012

Retail sales: 49% to £481.6m

Gross profit: £252m / Profit: + 45% to £41.8m / Active customers: 5m

When we said we wanted to be "truly global", we meant it. In the year when we took over as the number one most visited fashion website in the world, per day, by 18-34 year olds, we opened our first international offices - and we have plans for more.
Launch of our Russian language site - adding to our UK, US, Australian, German, French, Spanish and Italian language specific sites	Opened first international office in Sydney (Australia).

2011

Retail sales: +58% to £324.1m

Gross profit: £131.7m / Profit: +41% to £28.6m

Active customers: 3.2m

We went multi-channel, multi-lingual and 100% screen agnostic. ASOS also joined forces with social networks as international sales soared by 142%.	ASOS iPhone and iPad apps – shop for fashion from your mobile device.
ASOS’s tailored websites for Australian, Italian and Spanish customers go live	ASOS Fashion Finder site goes live giving would-be fashion editors a spiritual home

2010

Retail sales: +38% to £205.5m

Gross profit: £93.1m / Profit: +44% to £20.3m

Active customers: 1.6m

In a bold move which our customers loved, we introduced free shipping on all UK orders, whilst ASOS Marketplace opened a new world to our customers.	Customers in France, Germany and USA got country-specific websites
ASOS Marketplace brings second-hand fashion and start-up labels to our shoppers	Free delivery introduced for all UK orders (with paying options for special delivery) We launch ASOS mobile, a version of the site for your phone

2009

Retail sales: +108% to £149.3m

Gross profit: £71.7m / Profit: +93% to £14.1m

Active customers: 1.2m

The year ASOS went ‘designer’. Amid record sales and profit we rapidly expanded our ASOS-label and special collections, and gave shoppers the option to go ‘Premier’.	Designer Brands at ASOS launches with a new range of high-end labels
ASOS Life, our community forum, launches and becomes a new social networking hub	The first year of ASOS Premier, offering unlimited free next-day delivery ASOS Maternity and ASOS Black labels hit the market

2008

Retail sales: +90% to £71.7m

Gross profit: £37.3m / Profit: +117% to £7.3m

Active customers: 0.9m

ASOS takes off. In 2008, our retail sales jumped 90% while profits leapt 117%. Retail Week rewarded our success with their ‘Online Retailer of the Year’ award.	We take over a 158,250 sq ft warehouse in Hemel Hempstead
We open the ASOS Outlet store selling last season’s brands at 70% off	ASOS Magazine goes from 5 to 11 issues a year

2007

Retail sales: +111% to 37.7m

Gross profit: £18.1m / Profit: +144% to £3.4m

Active customers: 0.4m

Our staff numbers jumped from 128 to 210 and ASOS moved to new headquarters in Camden, north London. Meanwhile, ASOS Magazine hit the presses as ASOS own-label for men arrived.	ASOS Magazine launches, with 400,000 copies to customers a month
ASOS own-label for Men arrives

2006

Retail sales: +32% to £17.8m

Gross profit: £8.8m / Profit: +61% to £1.4m

Active customers: 0.3m

We showed our resilience when we bounced back after our only warehouse was damaged by a fuel explosion. Online shopping worldwide got serious with forecasts for huge growth.	Buying and merchandising teams double in size.
We’re the first UK fashion retailer to launch a moving images ‘catwalk’	Big brands like Diesel and Firetrap join asos.com

2005

Retail sales: +82% to £12.8m

Gross profit: £6.6m / Profit: +240% to £0.9m

Boosting our range of items from 500 to 1,800 paid off as we hit 1m unique visitors for the first time. Sales of ASOS jumped 82% with group profits (before tax) soaring 240%.	We launch ASOS Beauty
Buncefield fuel depot explosion in December closes the business for six weeks

2004-2003

Retail sales: £8.3m

Gross profit: £4.5m / Profit: £528k

As Seen on Screen’ became ASOS.com Ltd – and loss-making days were firmly over as the business soared into profit. ASOS’s first own-label collection landed.	ASOS’s first own-label collection for women was introduced
First year in profit for ASOS

2002-2000

Retail sales: £3.6m

Gross profit: £2.2m / Profit: £1.7m

Nick Robertson and Quentin Griffiths formally founded As Seen On Screen Ltd in June 2000.	ASOS launched on the London Stock Exchange’s alternative investment market (AIM).