Asos, the online fashion retailer, on Wednesday defied the retail gloom with increased profits and a sales increase in recent weeks of more than 100 per cent.

On the day that Moss Bros, the suit retailer, issued a profits warning, Asos reported an increase in interim pre-tax profit from £300,000 to £2.4m and an 83 per cent increase in revenues for the six months to September 30 to £31.8m.