Visualsoft has designs on fashion world's top spot

Jul 30 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

A WEB developer is gearing up for exponential growth after becoming the retail darling of the fashion world and quadrupling the level of trade which comes through its doors.

Stockton-based Visualsoft believes it is on track to become the largest national player in e-commerce and is this year set to bring 450 websites to market, compared to 100 last year.

It has also become a major force in online fashion retail and has already secured the backing of over 200 clothing firms for its soon-to-be- launched website, designerclothing.com.

The site aims to become an online designer clothing department store and do for fashion what Autotrader does for cars, or Right Move is for housing – a collection of retailers selling from the same online platform.

The company, which recently moved from Preston Farm to new offices on the Portrack Lane estate, almost doubling its workforce, has invested heavily in the launch of the website.

It plans to add 20 staff to its current workforce of 35 over the next year as its national appeal, particularly in the fashion arena, continues to grow.

Marketing manager Rich Himsworth said: “You don’t have to get more visitors on your site to double your sales, just as long as your site’s designed to convert hits into sales.

“We have got the biggest fashion portfolio in the UK, we are pretty much monopolising that sector.”