Fashion Investments and M&A

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.

Date: January 2018
Buyer: Yu Capital
Target: Mary Katrantzou
Business: Designer fashion label
Value: Undisclosed
Details: Wendy Yu has acquired a minority stake in designer fashion label Mary Katrantzou.