Soak & Sleep, the bed and bath etailer chaired by Sir Stuart Rose, is to expand overseas for the first time and introduce new product categories as part of its growth plans.
The etailer, which rebranded from Duvet & Pillow Warehouse in March, is to launch an Australian website in September. Customers will receive goods five days after placing their order.
Soak & Sleep founder and chief executive Charlie Hunt said: “A lot of UK retailers have had success in Australia, and for us there’s less competitors there than in the UK. Also, the sizing of beds and baths are the same as the UK, which means we can test the appetite of the market without the costs involved [in changing its ranges].”
Hunt said if Australia proved successful, Soak & Sleep will look to launch in further markets with the same bed and bath sizing as the UK.
This autumn Soak & Sleep will expand into nightwear, offering products such as sleeping gowns and pyjamas for both men and women. It will also launch a dedicated kids’ area of the site, providing bed linen and beds targeted at children aged between five and 13 years old.
“As we are a bed and bath specialist, we believe anything bed and bath should belong to us,” said Hunt. “We’ve seen a strong demand from existing customers; it’s a natural progression.”
From July, the retailer will offer customers the opportunity to monogram products such as bed linen and towels.
The retailer, which was founded in 2007, has previously outlined plans to grow sales from £12m to £50m by 2017.
Earlier this year the etailer appointed BrandAlley chief financial officer Stuart Smith to the new role of chief operating officer. Rose joined last year.
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