The largest American speciality retailer for large men is arriving in Britain to muscle in on an expanding market.

The Casual Male Retail Group is establishing itself in Britain and Europe in a direct challenge to the likes of N Brown, the catalogue order group that provided a glimmer of optimism in the bleak retail landscape this month when it reported a 20per cent increase in profit.

Casual Male has been lured across the Atlantic by a market that is growing steadily along with the waistlines of British and European men. David Levin, the chief executive of Casual Male, said: “We saw there was a significant percentage of people who fit into our big and tall categories in Europe, and it's a growing business.”

The retailer estimates that at least 67million men in Europe are obese and, therefore, are potential customers. Casual Male has launched a website for each of its two chains - the eponymous mass-market shop and the upmarket, designer-label Rochester. However, the group's websites are simply reconnaissance parties for a full assault on the high street.

Mr Levin said: “Do we want to open bricks and mortar stores in Britain? Absolutely. But we need to get an understanding of the trends by country. The internet is a great vehicle to do that. We don't have to put the

capital up front and the traffic will lead us to where the best concentration of customers are and the brands they like.”

Casual Male caters for men taller than 6ft 2in (1.88m) or with a waist of more than 42in - a market in America that is worth $6billion (£3.5billion) a year, according to Mr Levin.

The market in Britain is expanding rapidly, as the population becomes fatter, older and better off. Alan White, the chief executive of N Brown, which has been posting double-digit growth for a number of years, said that he had seen some trading up from customers as they bought designer clothes previously unavailable to them.

The arrival of the Americans in the neighbourhood will provide a challenge to N Brown's dominance. The company has proved fairly recession-proof, owing to its middle-aged and comfortably off demographic and their lack of alternatives. After the company's results this month, Mr White said: “[Our customers] can't just go into the high street and pick something up.”

No longer will N Brown be a near-monopoly. Moreover, the timing may prove problematic for N Brown. The company, which has a market value of £550million, is pushing for male customers, who at present are outnumbered by women seven to one.

Mr Levin is in bullish mood on the question of competition. He said: “Once the consumer sees what we have to offer, they will be amazed at the breadth of the selection, the brand names that we're going to be bringing in. There's nothing like us in Europe.”

The battle may be won or lost on the internet, which is the fastest-growing part of N Brown's business. The company says that, as consumers brace themselves for a recession, they are shopping on the internet more than ever. Online sales at N Brown soared by 45 per cent to £106million in the half-year to the end of August.

Mr Levin said: “Very big and tall men usually shop on the internet 50 per cent more than a regular guy because he's searching for things he's not going to be able to walk into the street and find.”

Casual Male's presence outside the United States has been limited to one Rochester shop in Central London, opposite Harrods. Indeed, the company was spurred to Europe by the store's performance: it is the second- most profitable of the group's 500 stores - after only New York - and is the fastest-growing.

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