HIGH-STREET tycoon Theo Paphitis is looking to ramp up international sales at his lingerie chain Boux Avenue, after investing in new IT systems and a dedicated distribution centre.

Boux completed work on a new bespoke IT system in February and it currently shares warehouse space with Paphitis’ other businesses.

However, once work at its 90,000 sq ft distribution centre in Hemel Hempstead is completed in the autumn, Boux will have a greatly increased capacity to grow its online sales from overseas customers.

The former Dragons’ Den star, who also owns Ryman and Robert Dyas, said: “The new IT platform allows us to grow. We started with a generic platform and it became very clear that with the rapid growth we have seen, it was starting to creak at the seams. It was not going to get us to the next stage.

“We’ve also broken ground on a new warehouse. The business is really coming of age. With the new IT platform and distribution capability, you will find our forays overseas will know no bounds.”

Boux has 12 stores overseas in locations such as Malta, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as 28 stores in the UK.

Paphitis added that Robert Dyas is to move its head office in Leatherhead, Surrey, where it has been based since a fire burned down its Croydon office in 1997, into his retail group’s Wimbledon headquarters.

He said that the Leatherhead location made it difficult to recruit staff to Robert Dyas.