LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, plans to tap into the fast-growing market for online fashion shopping by launching a Web site this autumn that will sell own-brand clothing ranges like Cherokee and F&F.
The supermarket group said its decision followed a trial last year and the Web site would sell ranges of clothes currently only available in some of its stores.
'Tesco's in-store clothing ranges have been popular in the shops where we sell them -- so we've been looking at how we can bring the fashion ranges to more customers,' said Commercial Director Richard Brasher.
Online clothing sales have been one of the few bright spots in British retailing in recent months, helped by the popularity of sites such as ASOS.com.
Online clothing sales rose 32 percent in December year-on-year, beating a 14 percent rise in all online retail sales and far exceeding growth in high street fashion chains, according to figures from online retail industry body IMRG and consultants Capgemini.
Tesco said its clothing sales rose 5 percent over Christmas.
(Reporting by Mark Potter) Keywords: TESCO/ (mark.r.potter@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542-2943; Reuters Messaging: mark.potter.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The supermarket group said its decision followed a trial last year and the Web site would sell ranges of clothes currently only available in some of its stores.
'Tesco's in-store clothing ranges have been popular in the shops where we sell them -- so we've been looking at how we can bring the fashion ranges to more customers,' said Commercial Director Richard Brasher.
Online clothing sales have been one of the few bright spots in British retailing in recent months, helped by the popularity of sites such as ASOS.com.
Online clothing sales rose 32 percent in December year-on-year, beating a 14 percent rise in all online retail sales and far exceeding growth in high street fashion chains, according to figures from online retail industry body IMRG and consultants Capgemini.
Tesco said its clothing sales rose 5 percent over Christmas.
(Reporting by Mark Potter) Keywords: TESCO/ (mark.r.potter@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542-2943; Reuters Messaging: mark.potter.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.