LONDON, England - The clothing brand sold by Britain's biggest retailer Tesco said on Tuesday it had opened its first stores in the Philippines, expanding its footprint to 20 countries globally.

F&F, launched in the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2001, said it and local franchise partner Stores Specialist Inc had opened three stores already in the Philippines, with 10 in total planned this year.

"These new stores, as well as our recent openings in the Middle East, show how committed we are to making F&F a truly global affordable fashion brand," F&F Chief Executive Jason Tarry said.

F&F has recently opened stores in Dubai, Bahrain and Jordan as part of a franchise agreement with Dubai-based Al Futtaim.

Other countries with F&F stores include Poland, Turkey, Malaysia, Thailand and China. F&F also delivers to a further 30 countries via online ordering.