Ao.com early German website launch will 'avoid distraction from Christmas peak'

The etailer revealed it will launch its German site tomorrow, six months ahead of plan.

Roberts said: “There’s only a couple of windows we could have launched in. If we didn’t get it live now it would be in November which is right in the middle of peak trading. The important thing is that it doesn’t distract from UK peak trading.”

Roberts said the retailer is feeling positive ahead of Christmas. He said: “We’re well planned and Santa Claus has always been kind to us before.”

Ao.com will follow a similar brand-building plan in Germany that it did in the UK. It will build its presence through word of mouth and by using Google, which Roberts said meant it can easily “dial it up or dial down”.

He said it does not plan to launch a big brand building campaign until it had reached break even. Roberts said this would happen when it hit around £120m sales.

Roberts said that it was a “huge day” for the business. It is understood that investors backed the etailer in its £1.2bn float earlier this year because they believed it could replicate its model overseas.

“The next six months will define the future,” Roberts said.