Australian swimwear brand Budgy Smuggler has launched an UK e-commerce store and London pop-up store late last week.

“All our swimwear is made in Australia and this helps differentiate us from the mass-produced cheap crap,” said Jarrod Allen, head of research and development.

“We’ve had steadily growing sales for the past four to five years in the UK and Europe.

“The UK-based website will allow overnight shipping to the UK and Europe which will accelerate growth in our two biggest export markets.”

The retailer said in a market where the likes of Zara, Top Shop and the soon to arrive Amazon are disrupting the Australian retail scene, the swimwear brand confident in its ‘uniquely Australian value proposition.’

“We’ve always focused Budgy Smuggler on blokes who you’d love to have a beer with and there’s a lot of people who love a beer here, so we’re expecting sales to go alright” said Allen.

The brand has a number of high profile sports stars who have donned the smugglers including the Burgess Brothers, a number of British & Irish Lions rugby players and cricketer Kevin Pietersen. England Rugby flanker James Haskell has also developed his own range of customised smugglers.

“There was a Rugby 7’s tournament on the weekend and we had a couple of hundred pairs which all sold out,” said Allen.

“They seem to get it over here which is a good early sign. It also allowed us to to join in an have a beer once all the stock was gone which was pretty good too.”

Access exclusive analysis, locked news and reports with Inside Retail Weekly. Subscribe today and get our premium print publication delivered to your door every week.