Clare Haines (L) and
Melissa Burton (R)
SCALING UP
Nine years after launching on eBay with a few palettes of stock, Lingerie
Outlet Store has grown into a multi-platform business with 10,000ft 2 of
warehouse space. Speaking from their offices in Swindon, founder Clare
Haines and business partner Melissa Burton talk about how they’ve scaled up
the company and their future ambitions to become a national retailer
I
t is generally accepted
that heavy investment
from third parties and
exposure in the media is the
fuel that makes brands fly.
But that’s not always the case.
Sometimes, brands burst into our lives
24
with little or no apparent support, as
was the case with Lingerie Outlet Store.
In nine years, it has grown from a small
business operating out of the home of
former sales woman Clare Haines into a
multi-platform retailer with 23 staff and a
10,000ft 2 warehouse space in Swindon.
LINGERIEINSIGHT January 2018 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk
Together with her business partner
Melissa Burton, Haines has grown the
company organically, with no external
investment, and by the end of this
financial year, Lingerie Outlet Store is
set to make £8m, up from £51,000 in
2009 and £3m in 2016.
Beauty Aesthetics International | Issue 1 | January-March 2020 | 47