Pandemic unlocked a massive sales rise for lingerie company
A LINGERIE and swimwear company has seen a 200 per cent spike in lingerie sales during the pandemic as customers looked to spice up their bedroom attire.
Pour Moi was established in Macclesfield in 2005 in a small office above a shop, but they now sell a bra every 30 seconds.
Several successive UK lockdowns meant customers were trapped indoors, so demand for nightwear soared.
The founder of Pour Moi says sales reached £31million in the 12 months to the end of September, up 46 per cent, following a 61 per cent jump during the same period in 2019.
Founder Michael Thompson started the business after he discovered a passion for lingerie whilst working in the department at M&S.
Underlying pre-tax profits have more than trebled since before the pandemic, including a 75 per cent jump in the past year to £2.7million.
Mr Thompson said: “Like a lot of people, for the first couple of months of the pandemic we were terrified.
“The biggest terrifying thing for us was that 80 per cent of our business was swimwear, it was like having a cassette player and having loads of cassettes in your warehouse, then finding out everyone has gone to streaming.
“If you’re stuck at home, your entertainment has limited resources, it was either streaming something, playing Scrabble or buying lingerie.”
Three men and 47 women make up the design team at Pour Moi and the entire business has 147 staff.
Pour Moi also saw a 154 per cent increase in e-commerce website sales compared with 2019 figures.
During the final three months of 2021 growth increased by 297 per cent from 2019.
The brand gained attention in 2015 after Samantha Cameron, ex-Prime Minister David Cameron’s wife, wore a Pour Moi bikini on a trip to Ibiza.