Royal bra-fitter Rigby & Peller's sales rise as it expands abroad
British shoppers’ love of luxury underwear has helped boost sales at Royal bra-fitter Rigby & Peller.
The retailer, which has been corsetiere to the Queen since 1960, said the opening of new stores in affluent St John’s Wood and one in north Yorkshire helped sales climb to £9.7 million in 2014, from £9.2 million the prior year.
Goods sold at the lingerie business, which counts Kim Kardashian as a fan, include made to measure bras costing over £300.
The Marie Jo Avero collection of bras and hotpants were among its bestsellers, priced at around £77 and £40 respectively.
In accounts just filed it said: “The company remains committed and confident for the future and has expanded its operations and continues to do so.”
This year it completed a major refurbishment of its Knightsbridge flagship shop, and it continues to expand internationally.
Earlier this month it opened on Fifth Avenue in the US.
As a result of investing in new shops and training for staff in lingerie styling, Rigby & Peller’s losses swelled from £115,037 to £410,837 last year.
The company was founded in 1939 when Bertha Rigby and Gita Peller opened their first corset-maker store on South Molton Street.
