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Tag: Nautica

  • VF next plan for Wrangler and Lee business

    VF next plan for Wrangler and Lee business

    Fast-growing apparel brand owner VF Corporation plans to spin off its Wrangler and Lee denim business into a second listed company.

    Dubbed NewCo for now, it would be a global leader in the denim category as well as incorporating the VF Outlet operations. Those businesses contributed US$2.5 billion to VF’s turnover last year.

    VF chairman, president and CEO Steve Rendle said since last year the company has been engaged in a disciplined reshaping of its brand portfolio to better position the company for long-term success in a quickly changing business landscape. In that time, VF has acquired Williamson-Dickie, and the Icebreaker and Altra brands, and sold Nautica and its Licensed Sports Group, including the Majestic brand. That has sharpened the company’s focus on activity-based outdoor, active and work lifestyles. Its brands now include North Face, JanSport, Smartwool and Eagle Creek,

    “The decision to separate these businesses will allow VF to sharpen its focus as a consumer-centric and retail-minded organisation anchored in activity-based lifestyle brands,” said Rendle.

    The Wrangler and Lee jeans business is both successful and sustainable with iconic global brands and a clear path to value creation as a standalone entity, he said.

    “This exciting step forward will mean that both VF and NewCo have the resources, management focus and financial flexibility to thrive in a dynamic consumer marketplace, creating an even brighter future for both organisations and all of their stakeholders.”

    With annual sales estimated at more than $11 billion, the trimmed-down VF business will have more flexibility to pursue its merger and acquisition strategy, explore new growth vectors and apply even more investment behind its organic brand portfolio, he said in a statement.

    Post split, VF would move its headquarters to metro Denver, a location it believes is more in keeping with its outdoor wear focus and an ideal home for its Global Innovation Center for technical fabrics and Digital Lab.

    “Locating these brands, along with select VF leaders, at the base of the Rocky Mountains will enable us to accelerate innovation, unlock collaboration across brands and functions, attract and retain talent and connect with consumers,” said Rendle, who will remain in his current role.

    NewCo’s Asian focus

    Meanwhile, the new Wrangler and Lee denim business will be free to pursue further expansion of its global footprint, with a sharp focus on Asia, building on its established presence in China. The company expects to unlock significant scale and cost efficiencies by streamlining operations, providing flexibility to pursue strategic acquisitions over time.

    Scott Baxter has been designated CEO of the new company and  Rustin Welton as CFO.

    NewCo will be headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina where Lee will relocate its headquarters from Kansas City, joining Wrangler.

    The separation is anticipated to be complete in the first half of next year, following customary regulatory approvals and tax and legal considerations.

  • Authentic Brands Group acquires Nautica

    Authentic Brands Group acquires Nautica

    Authentic Brands Group has bought the Nautica business from VF Corporation.

    The new owner, which lists Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Greg Norman, Aeropostale, Juicy Couture and Frederick’s of Hollywood among an extensive portfolio, will take over the sports-inspired brand in the first half of this year. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

    VF chairman, president and CEO Steve Rendle said the company’s global business strategy is to actively manage its brand portfolio to ensure its composition allows strong growth.

    “This announcement marks yet another example of how we’re delivering on our commitment. We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Authentic Brands Group. The Nautica brand is an iconic, globally recognised brand, and Authentic Brands Group is the ideal owner to guide its next phase of growth and success.”

    Nautica, an American brand, has a strong nautical heritage, particularly associated with yachting. Besides producing clothing for men, women and children, it sells fragrances, watches and accessories.

    VF Corporation still owns the Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Wrangler and Lee brands.

  • Company Announces Plans to Sell Nautica

    Company Announces Plans to Sell Nautica

    US apparel group VF Corp. is on a mission to divest its Nautica brand, saying the decision to sell met the “held-for-sale and discontinued operations accounting criteria”.

    VF Corp. bought Nautica Enterprises Inc. in 2003 for $586 million.

    The company, which owns the North Face, Vans and Timberland, said it had decided to sell Nautica during the fourth quarter and has classified it as a discontinued business.

    It follows VF Corp’s decision in early 2017 to sell off Licensed Sports Group and after it sold its Contemporary Brands business in 2016.

    The news coincided with VF Corp’s fourth-quarter results released on Friday.

    For the three months ended December 30, net losses were $90.3 million, or $0.23 cents per diluted share, compared to net income of $264.3 million, or $0.63 cents, a year ago. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share were $1.01.

    However, revenue for the quarter increased 20 percent to $3.6 billion, which included a $247 million contribution from the company’s acquisition of Williamson-Dickie, a global workwear company, in October. This was a touch below analysts’ estimations of US$3.66bn.

    Full year 2017 revenue increased seven percent to $11.8 billion. Excluding the Williamson-Dickie acquisition, full-year revenue increased five percent.

    “VF’s fourth quarter results were stronger than we expected as growth continues to accelerate across core dimensions of our portfolio,” said Steve Rendle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We remain in the early phase of a multi-year journey to become a purpose led, agile, consumer centric organization. I am pleased with our early progress and look forward to building on our momentum in 2018.”

  • US investor buys into Mitra Adiperkasa

    US investor buys into Mitra Adiperkasa

    US private-equity company General Atlantic has made its first investment in Indonesia by buying into lifestyle retailer Mitra Adiperkasa (Map).

    It has subscribed for Rp1.08 trillion (US$80.5 million) in bonds issued by Map which are convertible into shares in its F&B subsidiary Map Boga Adiperkasa (MBA), which runs Cold Stone Creamery, Godiva, Krispy Kreme, Pizza Express and Starbucks in Indonesia. It has more than 300 stores across 24 cities, and has more than doubled its store count over the past five years.

    Map runs multi-channel retail concepts in Indonesia across a diversified portfolio of department stores, sportswear, specialty fashion, F&B, and lifestyle products. It has nearly 2000 retail stores.

    “We believe the rapid rise in Indonesia’s middle and young working classes, the increase in this population’s disposable income, and the continued rural-to-urban migration represents an opportunity for us to strengthen our international food brands and cement our leadership position in the F&B market,” says Map CEO V.P.

    Sharma. A portion of the investment money will be used to accelerate the F&B division’s network expansion.
    “Indonesia’s domestic consumption comprises more than half of gross domestic product, and consumption patterns are increasingly shifting toward modern and aspirational lifestyle brands,” says General Atlantic Southeast Asia head Wai hoong Fock. “These secular trends position MBA’s food & beverage portfolio well for further expansion.”

    Regional commitment

    The partnership, General Atlantic’s first investment in Indonesia, indicates its commitment to long-term market prospects in South-east Asia,” says Fock, who joined General Atlantic from CVC Capital Partners last year to lead its South-east Asia investing program. He is based in the firm’s Singapore office.
    General Atlantic has 18 investment professionals in Asia, based in offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Singapore. The firm opened its Singapore office in 2011, investing three years later in Singapore-based online mobile entertainment/communication Garena platform. It has also supported the growth of retail and F&B companies including lifestyle brand Tory Burch, luxury fashion brand Zimmermann, restaurant group Barteca Holdings, urban juice-bar concept Joe & The Juice, community accommodation marketplace AirBNB and transportation network company Uber.

    Map has 1921 retail outlets in 68 cities throughout Indonesia. Its retail concepts include department stores (Debenhams, Galeries Lafayette, Seibu and Sogo), fashion and lifestyle (Crabtree & Evelyn, Kipling, Lacoste, Marks & Spencer, Massimo Dutti, Nautica, Sephora, Swarovski, Topman, Topshop and Zara), sports (Converse, Golf House, Oakley, Payless ShoeSource, Reebok, Rockport, Skechers, The Athlete’s Foot and The Sports Warehouse), F&B (Burger King, Cold Stone Creamery, Domino’s Pizza, Godiva, Krispy Kreme and Starbucks), kids (Kidz Station and Oshkosh B’Gosh) and bookstore Kinokuniya.

  • 7 for All Mankind sold by VF Corporation

    7 for All Mankind sold by VF Corporation

    Hip denim lifestyle brand 7 for All Mankind has been sold along with two sister brands.

    VF Corporation says it has sold its Contemporary Brands businesses to Tel Aviv-based Delta Galil Industries.

    The other brands are Splendid and Ella Moss.

    VF chairman and CEO Eric Wiseman said the brands included in this transaction are leaders in their sectors, and have talented, passionate people who are motivated by serving the marketplace with distinctive apparel design and exceptional service.

    “Earlier this year we said that we are taking a focused and proactive look at the composition of our business portfolio to ensure that we are well positioned to maximise VF’s growth and return to our shareholders. This announcement illustrates that our work as active portfolio managers is progressing.”

    The transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter of this year, is subject to various regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions that must be accomplished in order for a closing to occur. The selling price is US$120 million, subject to various working capital adjustments.

    VF Corporation owns a diversified portfolio of brands around the globe, including The North Face, Vans, Timberland, Wrangler, Lee and Nautica.

  • Myntra India pins hopes on sportswear

    Myntra India pins hopes on sportswear

    Adding more products and international brands to its portfolio, online fashion retailer Myntra India aims to grow its outdoor and sports range revenue by 20 per cent over the next 15 months.

    Owned by Flipkart, the company earns about 15 per cent of its revenue from sportswear and has just introduced apparel and footwear from US brand The North Face (TNF), reports The Times of India.

    “The North Face is an important addition to our list of international exclusive brands,” says Myntra head of eCommerce Prasad Kompalli.

    He says the outdoor category is expected to double its growth in 2016-17.

    TNF’s range went on sale this month. Part of VF Inc, it was founded in California in 1966 and specialises in outerwear, fleece and coats. It competes directly with Columbia Sportswear, which entered India in December 2013.

    VF Asia executive Bruno Feltracco says India offers a huge opportunity as a market.

    “Our experience in China helped us decide to first go online and understand the market. There is nothing that prevents us to go offline after we reach a certain stage,” he says. “We already have some of our other brands here doing really well.”

    VF Asia’s other brands include Lee, Wrangler and Nautica.