Annual pre-tax profits at online fashion retailer Boohoo have almost doubled to £31m - up from just under £16m last year. Its sales have jumped by 51% to almost £300m, thanks to new overseas markets. The Manchester-based firm puts its success down to "combining cutting-edge, aspirational design with an affordable price tag". Its booming sales growth has also been reflected in its share price, which has more than trebled in the past year. On its stock market flotation in 2014, it was valued at £560m. It is now worth about £2bn. The firm has gone from strength to strength in recent years, while its High Street rivals have had to deal with increasing competition from Boohoo and other online retailers. The company now has 5.2 active million customers worldwide, and crucially is able to rely on social media "influencers" and video bloggers - "vloggers" - to spread the word to its 18 to 24-year-old target market.
