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Date: Closed 4 May 2018
Buyer: Fosun Industrial Holdings Limited
Target: Wolford AG
Business: Luxury hosiery, bras and bodywear retailer
Value: Approximately EUR 12.80 per share (unconfirmed)
Details: Chinese private conglomerate Fosun Industrial Holdings Limited has become the majority shareholer of Vienna listed Wolford AG, having acquired a 50.87% stake in the luxury textiles firm from the former major shareholder group. The deal reportedly included Fosun agreeing to provide EUR 22 million of fresh equity to the target company.
Date: Announced 2 May 2018 (exchanging end of June 2018)
Buyer: C.banner
Target: House of Fraser Group Ltd
Business: Department store group in the UK and Ireland
Value: Undisclosed
Details: Chinese retail conglomerate C.banner, owner of iconic toy store Hamleys, is to acquire a majority (51%) stake in department store group House of Fraser from Nanjing Cenbest, House of Fraser’s parent company, together with a subscription for fresh equity. Nanjing Cenbest will remain a significant minority shareholder.
Date: Announced 30 April 2018
Buyer: Authentic Brands Group LLC (ABG)
Target: Nautica brand
Business: Iconic American lifestyle brand
Value: Undisclosed
Details: ABG, a New-York based brand development, marketing and entertainment company which owns brands including Juicy Couture, Jones New York, Herve Leger and Judith Leiber, acquires the Nautica brand, including its brand marketing and licensing functions, from VF Corporation, a branded lifestyle, apparel, footwear and accessories company listed on the NYSE.
Date: Announced 30 April 2018 (closing 30 June 2018)
Buyer: Amer Sports Corporation
Target: Peak Performance brand
Business: Swedish premium performance outerwear and streetwear brand
Value: DKK 1.9 billion (approximately £225 million)
Details: Amer Sports Corporation, a sporting goods company listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange, has agreed to acquire Peak Performance, a Swedish premium performance outerwear and streetwear brand, from IC Group, a Danish-listed brand portfolio company.
Date: Announced 30 April 2018 (closing expected to take place in the second half of 2019)
Buyer: Sainsbury’s
Target: Asda Group Limited
Business: Grocery, general merchandise and clothing retail group
Value: £7.3 billion
Details: Sainsbury’s and Walmart Inc., the parent company of Asda Group Limited, have announced an agreement to merge (subject to competition authority approvals), with Sainsbury’s set to acquire a majority stake in Asda, in a deal which is predicted to change the landscape of the UK’s value: clothing retailers.
Date: February 2018
Buyer: Boi Trading Company
Target: Juice Corporation
Business: Manchester-based importer, wholesaler and distributor of fashion brands and owner of fashion labels including Gabicci, Joe Bloggs and Elizabeth Emanuel
Value: Undisclosed
Details: Boi Trading Company buys Juice Corporation out of administration. Boi Trading Company is a Manchester-based brand house and distributor.
Date: February 2018
Buyer: Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) Group
Target: Berwin & Berwin
Business: Manufacturer and distributor of men’s tailoring
Value: Undisclosed
Details: EWM Group buys Berwin & Berwin out of administration. EWM Group purchased Austin Reed in November 2016 and Jaegar in March 2017, Berwin & Berwin having been the main supplier of both.
Date: 31 January 2018
Buyer: JD Sports Fashion Plc
Target: Sport Zone
Business: Multi-branded sports retailer (Portugal / Spain) of apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment
Value: Cash of c.€7.1m, consideration shares comprising a 30% shareholding in JD Sprinter Holdings 2010 S.L. (“JDSH”, JD’s existing Iberian business) and contingent consideration of up to €23.5m payable by JDSH based on value: creation.
Details: JD Sports Fashion acquired Iberian sports retailer Sport Zone with unconditional clearance from the European Commission.
Date: January 2018
Buyer: Eisha Bharati Pasricha
Target: Fyodor Golan
Business: London-based luxe-sports womenswear label
Value: Undisclosed
Details: Fashion investor Eisha Bharati Pasricha has acquired a “significant minority stake” in Fyodor Golan.
Date: January 2018
Buyer: Foot Locker, Inc.
Target: Carbon38
Business: Women’s luxury active wear apparel company
Value: $15 million
Details: Foot Locker, Inc. an athletic retailer has made an investment in Carbon 38 in a Series A funding round.