Asos says US sales are set to overhaul UK

The chief executive of online fashion retailer Asos has boasted that its US sales will outstrip the UK over the next three years after sales there boomed in its first quarter.

Nick Robertson made his prediction despite a surge in UK sales ahead of market expectations in the last three months after price reductions attracted British twentysomethings back to Asos. Its co-founder also said Sunday had been its biggest sales day of the year so far.

The US operation delivered retail sales up by 57 per cent to £19.1m over the three months to November 30. UK sales rose by 24 per cent to £62.1m over the quarter at Asos, which has 5.4m customers in 160 countries.

But Robertson warned on continuing financial pressures on its young UK customers.