The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The Newcastle-based menswear retailer turned to Goldman Sachs to help it find a new investor, Sky news reports. The retailer is in talks with private equity firms including Cinven and General Atlantic Partners, sources told Sky.
Christiaan Ashworth and John Parker founded End. in 2005, garnering a following for its curated assortment of sportswear, sneakers and emerging labels. Today, End sells the likes of Heron Preston and 1017 ALYX 9SM alongside luxury names like Gucci and Valentino and sports brands including Nike, Adidas and Patagonia.
End. operates three flagship stores in Newcastle, Glasgow and London, alongside an e-commerce business that accounts for the vast majority of sales. In October 2018, the duo told BoF they were on track to hit $180 million in revenue by the end of the year, up from $35 million in 2015, adding that the business has always been profitable.
Index Ventures, which has also invested in Farfetch and Net-a-Porter, took a minority stake in the retailer for an undisclosed sum in 2014. Ashworth and Parker own large minority stakes in the business, according to Sky.
The rental platform saw its stock soar last week after predicting it would hit a key profitability metric this year. A new marketing push and more robust inventory are the key to unlocking elusive growth, CEO Jenn Hyman tells BoF.
Nordstrom, Tod’s and L’Occitane are all pushing for privatisation. Ultimately, their fate will not be determined by whether they are under the scrutiny of public investors.
The company is in talks with potential investors after filing for insolvency in Europe and closing its US stores. Insiders say efforts to restore the brand to its 1980s heyday clashed with its owners’ desire to quickly juice sales in order to attract a buyer.
The humble trainer, once the reserve of football fans, Britpop kids and the odd skateboarder, has become as ubiquitous as battered Converse All Stars in the 00s indie sleaze years.