Ao.com sees growth in UK and German markets

Household appliance retailer Ao.com has reported rising UK orders and a growing presence in Germany since April this year.

In the three-month period ending June 30, the Bolton-headquartered company said orders from the UK rose by 13.9% against the previous quarter, while on German television it launched its first national advertising campaign.

As part of the firm’s growth plans for Ao.de, it signed up for a 10-year lease on a distribution facility near Cologne, which it expects to occupy at some point in H1 FY17.

The property consists of 35,000 sq m of warehouse and office space and will replace two sites already used by Ao.com, which is hoping that the new facility will allow it to eventually expand into other European countries.

In addition to its rising level of UK orders and expansion in Germany, Ao.com has also reported increased revenues for the three-month period, which it said saw ‘intense competitive activity’ in the appliances market. The firm said revenue growth against the previous quarter was 6.5%, while year-on-year its total revenue was up by 11.2%. It believes the figures were compounded by the economic uncertainty that surrounded May’s General Election.

Meanwhile, Ao.com has unveiled a new partnership with British advertising agency Karmarama, which was responsible for the BBC’s ‘God Only Knows’ advert. Moving forward, the agency will head up Ao.com’s creative initiative.