Edinburgh Woollen Mill expansion to create 1,100 jobs The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, one of the biggest operators of high street shops in the UK, plans to create more than 1,100 new jobs over the next 18 months by opening new stores. Newly filed account from the company, which has more than 1,000 shops and 12,000 employees, show that pre-tax profits almost trebled in the last year after it bought fashion brand Peacocks out of administration in 2012. In the year to March 2, the acquisition of almost 400 Peacocks shops helped sales to grow from £246m to £567m, while profits rose from £20.2m to £56.7m. Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group owns the Edinburgh Woollen Mill brand, as well as Ponden Home and Peacocks. Like-for-like sales, which excludes Peacocks, rose 1.2pc in the year while online sales rose almost 60pc. The company, run by tycoon Philip Day, says it has invested £80m into rebuilding the Peacocks brand from a struggling discount fashion retailer into a more quality-focused operator with a growing online business. Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group now plans to open 100 more shops over the next 18 months, including new Peacocks stores. The company is also eyeing opportunities to expand into Germany, Russia, and the Middle East. Steve Simpson, the group commercial director, said: "UK retail remains a tough environment and we are focused on serving customers who are seeking value at a time of reduced discretionary spend but who will not compromise on quality. The group is free of debt so we can leverage a positive balance sheet and focus on a sensible-strategy which continues to deliver sustainable growth for the long term.