That comes into context when compared to other competitors like SHEIN and Boohoo. I asked >100 people who bought there and tested some products myself. In terms of quality, they are objectively worse. They also provide high-quality products, but the perceived brand and focus are not of quality.
ASOS products are made from quality material in quality processes that ensure the end products are consistent, reliable, and held for a long time.

Ethical

The 20-something fashion-oriented audience cares about sustainability, environment, diversity, and generally buying from an ethical brand.

This has its limits, and it might affect mostly the more premium buyers, but it exists. Even if just for the virtue-signaling, being able to say your fashion is ethical is an integral part of the brand.https://www.the-investing-desk.com/asos-stock-deep-dive/

"COLLUSION*" brand is the younger and cheaper brand, launched just a year ago - and is already the 2nd most selling brand in ASOS. That is to speak to its quick growth and potential.

The "Topshop" and "Topman" brands that ASOS acquired recently represent the high-end alongside "ASOS Edition". These brands are unique and recognizable outside of the "ASOS" brand - helping acquire customers in the US, but we'll get to that.

We believe what differentiates us is that we do 20-something fashion with a focus like no one else. That doesn't mean sacrificing our "Fashion with Integrity" principles to be the cheapest in the market, nor does it mean correcting the widest possible range. Instead, our whole strategy is focused on Gen Z and Millennials and having the most relevant product for them at relevant price points with relevant propositions, such as the on-site experience and delivery methods tailored to their needs.

In the UK, they have 2 fulfillment centers for the logistics and over 20 years of marketing to that audience. So it works best. The challenge is replicating this in other regions.

Last year's growth stop is primarily due to supply-chain issues, which we'll expand on later. But it was most devastating to the ROW segment as it had elevated delivery times, often for weeks - resulting in the decline in sales.

Logistics

Adding automation to a warehouse is very capital intensive, so it was done only for the Barnsley and Berlin center so far. The gains in productivity are impressive:


The automation technologies are all third-party, yet all the data gathered is wholly owned by ASOS, opening the opportunity for data-based optimization and AI tools in the future

In 2021, ASOS ran a pilot for this program, in which partner brands (Adidas, Nike, etc.) serve the customer directly from their logistics centers rather than go through ASOS logistics.

Now in 2022 the program is out of pilot and getting incorporated officially. In a question from Jan 2022 call, Mat Dunn (CFO, COO) said this:

BREXIT 
ASOS is UK-based, with its biggest logistics centers in the UK and Europe being ASOS's second-biggest market.

Brexit made all this trade that much harder and costlier, though once trade paths are figured out, it makes things easier. In the ASOS case, we're almost there.


THE US market: 
The US market is still very small for ASOS. It has not reached a point where it enjoys economies of scale, making the supply chain issues in the US harder, making the whole business even more expensive, and cutting more into the margins.

The effects of the supply chain issue

ASOS will prioritize customer retention and growth in the short term rather than profits. That means they will take on some of the costs, harming the margins.

Operating margins are down from 7.0% on Aug 20' to 4.2% on Aug 21'. Again, that's all supply chains and inflation - as operationally, ASOS became more efficient in that period.

Gross margins are a better indicator to isolate supply chains, and they are at a decade low. Typically sits at 48%-52%, they are now at 45%.

LOSS OF CEO
In October 2021, ASOS announced the CEO Nick Beighton will step down. A few months later, by August 2021, the board chairman Adam Cozier stepped down too, 

The market is spooked by the lack of leadership, too - upon the CEO resignation announcement, the stock dropped -20%.

The new CEO of ASOS will have to handle the operational challenge of the supply chain issues and the global growth. The US market is key for the company value growth, and is the one most hurt by the supply chain issues.

targeting the 20-something fashion lover audience is a unique quality many big brands are unable to do internally at scale, so leveraging the ASOS platform for it makes sense.

exactly what ASOS is trying to do - instead of "ASOS" being the clothing brand, it should be the "platform" brand in which you can find many fashion brands.

face & BODY 

This reversal in the growth rates sent almost every online retailer stock price into a deep dive. So much so, that some, like ASOS, are priced in multiples that act like its growth days are in the past.

I think this is an over-correction to the ecstatic behavior the market showed while the pandemic growth numbers were out.

Asos has notably also removed some of the stalwarts of fashion and cosmetic advertising from its site- you’ll no longer take in perfectly airbrushed bikini shots or be sold clothing modelled by one cookie-cutter body type. The next time you log-on to buy a summer dress or some swimwear (if you’ve not completed your summer haul already), stretch marks, scars, freckles  and cellulite will be out and proud in every department. Beauty follows suit too, but this is where it gets even more interesting- while many a brand has embraced body positivity and scrapped digital retouching (shout out to Missguided ), ASOS has chosen to opt out of the word ‘beauty’ altogether.

The brand relaunched its cosmetic offering last September as  ‘Face + Body’ , a decision taken to make its makeup and body offering gender neutral and non-judgmental. The renaming is particularly fitting given Asos’ long-term partnership with LGBTQ activist group GLAAD and its gender neutral fashion collection, and the Asos board clearly wishes to further gender fluidity and egalitarian values in the cosmetic arena too, with makeup campaign and model shots representing a huge variety of ethnicities, sizes and even abilities (Asos supports and designs for the GB Paralympic team for the foreseeable). Cis men and women, trans men and women women and non binary people showcase new launches such as the box fresh Crayola Beauty and the Asos Face + Body Instagram feed  is a celebration of colour on every level. This doesn’t feel like lip service, it looks to be a genuine propelment towards a more democratic aesthetic ethos. Add affordability into the mix ( Asos Makeup  is priced between £5-£12), and the message that ‘makeup is for everyone’ seems to ring true from every angle.


The brand relaunched its cosmetic offering last September as  ‘Face + Body’ , a decision taken to make its makeup and body offering gender neutral and non-judgmental. The renaming is particularly fitting given Asos’ long-term partnership with LGBTQ activist group GLAAD and its gender neutral fashion collection, and the Asos board clearly wishes to further gender fluidity and egalitarian values in the cosmetic arena too, with makeup campaign and model shots representing a huge variety of ethnicities, sizes and even abilities (Asos supports and designs for the GB Paralympic team for the foreseeable). Cis men and women, trans men and women women and non binary people showcase new launches such as the box fresh Crayola Beauty and the Asos Face + Body Instagram feed  is a celebration of colour on every level. This doesn’t feel like lip service, it looks to be a genuine propelment towards a more democratic aesthetic ethos. Add affordability into the mix ( Asos Makeup  is priced between £5-£12), and the message that ‘makeup is for everyone’ seems to ring true from every angle.

That said, Asos does still stock brands that aren’t cruelty-free (Nars) While ‘a little less conversation a little more action’ could be levelled here, Asos makes it clear that it’s making strides towards sustainability and diversity, and reshaping the language we use is a powerful move- as with US beauty magazine Allure banning the term ‘anti-ageing’ and Women’s Health ceasing to use the phrase ‘bikini body’, how we talk to and about ourselves and others is of fundamental importance to our collective worth and values.

Changing the ideals around beauty is a vital step, but ceasing our use of it altogether in reference to how we adorn and paint our outer selves could prove restrictive. Perhaps we need a new term that encompasses all of the variations and idiosyncrasies of the human face and body?

“We put our twenty-something customer at the heart of everything we do and work really hard to understand what they’re interested in and what they want,” said Fulluck of the brand’s overall strategy, adding that the company often looks to social media for both product and content ideas. That content (beauty advice and interviews) shows up on its website, on the Asos app — where the brand reports 780,000 downloads per month — and in its monthly print magazine.

Our content has to be useful and inspirational,” said Rachel Bremer, Asos’s communications director. “Buying beauty is not just a transaction anymore.”

In January it splashed out £330 million to takeover the Topshop and Topman fascias from the administrators of Arcadia Group.

Nick Robertson and Quentin Griffiths didn’t know at the time that their small idea would grow into something so huge as ASOS is today.

The name ASOS is an acronym for “As Seen On Screen”, although many customers of the brand are unaware of this fact.

Initially known as “AsSeenOnScreen Limited”, the company soon shortened the name to ASOS in less than a year.

By 2001, their website was officially www.asos.co.uk, and the AsSeenOnScreen name had well and truly gone.

However, the reason behind the business was never forgotten, and Robertson and Griffiths still worked tirelessly to provide the elegant and stylish fashion items which had been seen on TV.

Around the same time, the business was admitted to the AIM (Alternative Investment Market) on the London Stock Exchange, meaning that shares could now be floated.

This enabled ASOS to benefit from shareholders and investors, helping to add more products and clothing lines.

Not long after, ASOS expanded and began to sell products that weren’t necessarily seen on the screen.

This prompted the owners and managers to think more seriously about officially changing the registered name to ASOS Limited.

In 2003, everybody agreed that ASOS was the name by which customers should recognize the company, and it was formally changed on the legal documents.

By 2013, they were offering products in several departments, including menswear, womenswear, jewelry, accessories, and even beauty products.

Customers in the USA, France, and Germany were able to order all their favorite items from the ASOS website by 2010.

The main warehouse for ASOS is situated in Barnsley, UK, and was expanded in 2014 to hold 20 million units.

The same year, the first warehouse in Europe outside of the UK was opened, located in Berlin, Germany. Mobile shopping apps were also launched for France and Germany.

CoppaFeel, one of the UK’s most popular breast cancer awareness charities, was proud to announce that ASOS had joined the campaign in 2015.

Since the charity aims to see every bra sold in the UK include a reminder label for women, ASOS is helping to make this a reality by adding one to each of the bras sold through asos.com.
Beginning as a small business venture, ASOS has taken the world by storm since launching in 2000.

Choice for all 
Our audience (AKA you) is wonderfully unique, and we do everything we can to help you find your fit. We offer our ASOS Brands in more than 30 sizes – and we're committed to providing all sizes at the same price – so you can be confident we’ve got the perfect thing for you.


Body positivity 
It’s important for us to promote a healthy body image – we’re not about conforming to any stereotypes – so we work with more than 200 models to represent our audience. And we’re not in the business of digitally altering their appearance either… there’s no reshaping or removing stretch marks here. Our models are part of the ASOS family and we support them by following a Model Welfare Policy.  

ParalympicsGB partnership 

We’re more than honoured to be an official partner of the British Paralympic Association, providing the ParalympicsGB team with their formal and ceremonies outfits. Creating bespoke collections that meet the athletes’ needs, as well as making them look and feel great, is a privilege and has improved our learning about designing adaptive clothing


PEOPLE AND THE PLANET 

People 
We’re serious about making sure every person in our global supply chain is safe at work and has their rights respected and protected. We set high ethical standards and support our suppliers to help them meet them. Our priorities include transparency; improving wages; health and safety; addressing and reducing modern-slavery risks, and identifying and stopping child labour. 

Planet 

We’ve set ourselves ambitious targets to reduce the impact we have on the planet and we’re always looking for new ways to get better. We also work hard to ensure animals don’t suffer for fashion and have strict sourcing guidelines for animal-derived materials and producing animal-free products.

ASOS Foundation 

We set up the ASOS Foundation because we believe everyone deserves access to the same opportunities. It achieved full charity status in 2013 and provides infrastructure, training and support to enable disadvantaged young adults to reach their potential. Our mission is to inspire young people to break down barriers and, ultimately, to achieve amazing things. We have so many experts in fashion and tech who love to pass on their talent through the Foundation – it’s one of our favourite parts of being ASOS, and we hope we can change lives

The ASOS Brands.

We don't do fashion like anyone else does fashion. Our ASOS Brands, created by our London design team, look between the lines to bring you the freshest clothing, shoes, accessories and gifts. When it comes to our curation of brands at ASOS, we select the best of those to give you the biggest variety, amazing exclusives and coolest collaborations. And in case that wasn't enough, we've also got a range of first-rate Face + Body products you can express yourself with, too. There are no rules – just endless ways to be you.

ASOS DESIGN 

Giving you the confidence to express your individuality, ASOS DESIGN interprets major trends, adding that next-level ASOS spin. Representing in our size ranges (ASOS Curve, Tall, Petite and Maternity), we've got all the stuff you need to invent a style that’s all yours… making every day, night and everything in-between as extraordinary as you are.



ASOS WHITE 
Backing oversized fits with a minimal, clean aesthetic, ASOS WHITE is here to elevate your every day. Believing investment pieces don’t have to compromise on individuality, it creates understated staples with a modern twist that you’ll be proud to wear – not to mention look damn cool in.

ASOS MADE IN 
No longer a choice between conscience and self-expression, we believe fashion has the power to build futures. That’s why our exclusive ASOS MADE IN KENYA collection works with SOKO Kenya to improve the lives of local communities by offering skills and support to drive sustainable development. Does good, looks good.

At ASOS, we never settle. We have an always testing, ‘always in beta’ philosophy, constantly improving to make it all just that bit better every day. From free delivery and returns to innovative visual search tech, if it hasn’t been done before, we find a way to do it anyway.

Style Match 

Whether inspired by a look in a magazine or a mate’s vibe, you can now find similar pieces quicker and easier than ever before with our photo search technology. Snap or upload an image and Style Match searches all our products to show you the closest things. Plus, it's really fun.

Fit Assistant 

We do everything we can to make sure our customers get their fit right, first time. This is where Fit Assistant comes in. Designed to offer a personalised size recommendation based on similar shoppers and bespoke measurements, we’re helping you be confident in the size you choose – knowing we’ve always got your back.About ASOS | Everything You Need to Know About Us

ASOS
https://www.asos.com › about

20 DECEMBER 2017
Asos has come a long way since it was founded in 2000 as As Seen On Screen, the destination for clothes and other items seen in films or on TV. Early on, its co-founder, Nick Robertson, the great-grandson of Austin Reed, saw the opportunity to branch out into selling own-label and third-party branded fashion. The business snowballed: in 2016 Asos had turnover of £1.4bn.

People were saying: ‘Online shopping’s never going to work. It’s a fad.’
“global fashion destination for 20-somethings that exists to give you the confidence to be whoever you want to be”. Top selling products categories range from the latest women’s clothing trends to men’s face and grooming products.

Nick Beighton became ASOS’ CEO in 2015. He worked at ASOS since 2009 as CFO. He and his team made a crucial observation and advancement for ASOS in 2010 — customers were looking to purchase via mobile. As a result, ASOS developed a hassle-free, easy to shop mobile experience.

Stress-free shopping wins loyalty. ASOS offers its customers free worldwide shipping and free returns! Along with spectacular shipping/return options, the company focuses on distribution efficiencies, eCommerce localization, and a strategic international online sales plan to help scale globally.

London, Thursday, 23 March 2023 – Viral TikTok trends are driving demand among 20-somethings for certain Face + Body ranges and specific products according to data from ASOS. The #cleangirlaesthetic hashtag (encapsulated by dewy skin, rosy cheeks and minimalist makeup) has had 2.9 billion views on TikTok and made lip oils and products that can be used for multi-tasking, such as blushers, a huge trend. ASOS has seen a sales of cream blushes grow by over 600% in the last 6 months. 

The ‘TikTok effect’ is also dramatically fuelling demand for individual products. Sales of The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution are up 130% year-on-year in the last six months after the product went viral last year.

A survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted in December found that 69% of 20-somethings think it’s important to protect spending on cosmetics and toiletries even when times are tough. Makeup is ASOS’ fastest-growing category the last 6 months, with one product sold every 4 seconds. 

To respond to demand, ASOS has added 18 new Face + Body brands in the last six months. By the end of May over 210 brands will be available following a series of new brand launches in April and May, including: 

Bernadette Sullivan, Face + Body Director at ASOS said: “Self-care is more important than ever for our 20-something customers, who we know want to protect their spending on Face + Body and fashion even when times are tough. That’s why we’re excited to be adding more leading brands to our platform as we continue to grow our Face + Body offer, so our customers know they can find everything they need at ASOS for every moment in their life.”

ASOS will hit the road to highlight its expanding Face + Body range with experiential pop-ups visiting Liverpool, London, and Manchester.

Visitors to the pop-ups will be able to use an interactive vending machine to get free product samples tailored to their needs and interests. The event is being supported by nine of the top Face + Body brands sold by ASOS - Harry’s, L’Oreal Paris Elvive, NYX, Olaplex, Sunday Riley, The Ordinary, thisworks, Too Faced and Urban Decay. 

Shoppers wanting to get their hands on these specially curated samples should head to the following leading shopping locations from 10am-6pm:

ASOS began selling beauty and grooming products in 2004 and rebranded the category to Face + Body in 2017. Today, ASOS is the go-to destination for 20-somethings exploring the category in a fun, playful and radically inclusive way, with over 13,000 individual products from c.200 brands.