AYBL gymwear specialist targets fivefold turnover rise, global growth

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 20, 2021

As gymwear continues to be a key category, a small brand – AYBL – based in Redditch, UK is targeting a near fivefold turnover increase having seen a tenfold rise in the last two years.

The three-year-old company has achieved total turnover of £10.3 million in that period with rapid increases happening in years two and three.

Employing 30 people, the aim is now to grow to a £50 million business within five years. 

Founded from home by Reiss Edgerton and brother Kristian, the company has been profitable from the start with year-one turnover of £140,000 translating into profits of £36,000. In its second year, it saw turnover of £1.5 million and profits of £360,000. And during the year of the pandemic, revenue grew fast with profits hitting £2.4 million.

The company is already shipping to multiple countries and has shifted more than 400,000 items in the past 12 months with it saying it's particularly strong in the US, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, France and Scandinavia.

Reiss Edgerton told The Business Desk: “For us, growth was always going to come down to getting two things right – product and customer experience. Our core consumer is 18-24 and we know what they want – affordable quality – and there was a clear gap in the market for that. Since the day we launched, we have focused on performance over design, and have developed exceptional products that hold their shape, aren’t see-through, and offer maximum comfort during workouts and in everyday wear.”

The brothers said the last 12 months have seen challenges with shipping costs increasing rapidly, but the firm has managed to avoid passing these price hikes to the consumer.