ASOS have dropped quite significantly in the past week for no particular reason and I view this as the perfect opportunity to invest as I can see them bouncing right back up to the 5.50p mark in the next 2-3 weeks. STRONG BUY!!

Ahhhh..... I feel better already.
Have a lovely weekend gentlemen.

Forgive me but I have visited their website and could someone please tell me what barriers to entry face any other would be competitor ?

Looks like another lastminute.com to me ... what am I missing ?

Eric, Thanks for a super update, but with so many goodies i am spoilt for choice, sold a bunch of shell on thursday +30% I will top up on ASC next week maybe monday if the price is not too inflated, Many thanks

Dil- Last minute have never made a profit and have grown by taking over companies and increasing debt---therefore only for the brave. ASC have shown good growth on sales and marketing alone. They appeal to the kids with cash-or the would be kids as well! cheap very fashionable clothes etc. No barriers to competitors at all but they are first on the case and now well established---just remember NEXT (that's one I was too careful to buy and watched it rocket) ASC in my opinion have very much the same long term potential even if someone decides to enter as competition. DYOR this is only reasons for buying--but want to add lots more so need time before sp rockets!! enjoy the weekend everyone-this thread is almost as enjoyable as SEY!!

My daughters have pointed out to me today Handbag.com...a free supplement with today's Torygraph..has anyone else seen it! Will be interesting to see what Xmas marketing is coming from ASOS. It's good branding but ASOS have aimed for a much broader based market with their exposure in the Mail and Sun.

SEADOG: There may be better buying opportunities than Monday for ASOS. The markets will be a little unsettled this coming week due US election. So watch the charts!

Eric: Does the smallcap Index value you quote go back to the start of our game?

moneyplus: Thanks for answering Dil. This barrier to entry issue also applies to Pizza parlours...we had Pizza Express and them looked what happened. There is plenty of space and a good management team is spurred on by the competition just like NEXT.

Finally does anyone plan to attend the MoneyAM Xmas do by London Bridge...we could meet up and swop stories??


John

Dont know whether i should admit to this but i was looking at dating site with a friend at a site called 'faceparty' and asos advertise on there.

Does anyone else have trouble logging on to asos.com?

johngtudor
Forgot about the US bit, thanks for the reminder.

Mumbles is a bit far for the Xmas do, have to give it a miss, but a nice thought. SD

sandra: No problem with ASOS this morning. Perhaps when you tried last night the site was down for maintance? Just a thought?

Kivver: My word you do go to some strange but popular sites!! Glad to read you are not on your own!

John

John
All that comes up is a Google search page...and then cannot find server. Glad others can get through though!
Sharon

Hi Sandra, That's very odd! Just an idea, but try clearing out all your internet cache clutter and try again. Sometimes the PC just repeats the last screen image for that site from your PC's cache memory which would be your last failed attempt in the early hours (sleepless nights in Cornwall clearly turn to ASOS images!)! I have just logged onto ASOS and it is as beautiful as ever!! Let me know how you get on ..

Seadog: When I am next in Mumbles we must meet up at Joe's for an ice-cream! Possibly the best in the world. Understand why you would not want to travel up to London by any form of transport...a true nightmare!


John

Sorry John....I don't know how to do that.

Sandra: Do you have Norton or any other application that allows you to see what is in your cache history?

John

Sandra: another idea try a google search from scratch on ASOS. Then see what happens when you click onto the ASOS reference as it should take you through to the site.

John

Sandra: If that fails try other search engines? John

John - I've asked Jeeves, tried Google and Yahoo searches and each time I get cannot find server. My friend next door might be able to help though..I'll try later or I could just save the money and buy more shares instead!!

Sandra - This is not good. I want you to do both...buy items from ASOS (good for all of us) and more shares to make you even happier! Re PC problems...most unusual. Hope your neighbour is able to help you out. John

sandrew , try deleting all cookies. If you do this any passwords for any site such as moneyam will have to be reentered.

dil

moneyplus has given a pretty good answer. It is a perfectly reasonable question: no doubt others will attempt to emulate, bound to happen with a successful idea. So, if someone with loads of lolly decided to start today, how ling would it take and how much would it cost? ASOS started out 4 years ago with several initiatives but are focussing on this, given its success. Perhaps a year to build a team and develop the technology. In parallel, research could be done in designs, launch the site with heavy marketing support. I suspect the next phase is difficult: you have to have the offerings at a decent price to get the clients, but how do you build the client base, perhaps attracting them from ASOS. Even if it was NEXT, and especially if it was M&S, that process would be difficult - I suspect that it has taken two years to build up client loyalty and ASOS were, I believe, first with this concept in this niche market. Perhaps, in the end of the day it comes down to brand loyalty.

I suspect it would cost far more than 50M (present ASC cap.) to build a competitive brand and by then ASOS will have moved further ahead. I also suspect that, if a major wanted to go for this market, the best route would be to bid for ASC. If they were not sent off with a flea in their ear, how much would they be prepared to, or have to, pay. For NEXT, with a cap. of 4000M, 250K could well be a decent investment. I may even take their money?

johngtudor: starting smallcap index was that of 6th October: 2596.5 (from IC magazine, if that can be mentioned here! - or does it cause the bb to be expunged?). moneyAM Xmas do sounds a good idea - where are details or do you have to be level 2? Or perhaps we should meet at Portleven and sort out Sandra's cookies!

Eric

johngtudor

Just found the post re lunch - not difficult really as in obvious place. Bit expensive but probably not so if ASC keeps going. Anyone else interested?

Eric