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.
Designer brands including Gucci and Anya Hindmarch have been left millions of pounds out of pocket and some customers will not get refunds after the online fashion site collapsed owing more than £210m last month.
Antitrust enforcers said Tapestry’s acquisition of Capri would raise prices on handbags and accessories in the affordable luxury sector, harming consumers.
As a push to maximise sales of its popular Samba model starts to weigh on its desirability, the German sportswear giant is betting on other retro sneaker styles to tap surging demand for the 1980s ‘Terrace’ look. But fashion cycles come and go, cautions Andrea Felsted.
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.