Dive Brief:
- Authentic Brands Group acquired the intellectual property of British footwear brand Hunter Boot Limited, for an undisclosed amount, the company announced Friday.
- Along with the deal, Authentic announced it had expanded its long-term partnership with U.K.-based licensing and distribution management company the Batra Group, which will become the core licensee of Hunter in the U.K. and continental Europe, and will design and develop footwear, apparel and accessories, and manage e-commerce and wholesale distribution in those territories. In the U.S., footwear design, wholesale and e-commerce will be handled by longtime Authentic partners Marc Fisher Footwear.
- Earlier this year, Authentic acquired the intellectual property of the Vince brand from Vince Holding Corp. and Boardriders, parent company of Billabong and Quiksilver.
Dive Insight:
A spokesperson for Authentic said it was too soon to say if the deal would involve leadership changes at Hunter as it transitions into a licensing model through Authentic’s platform.
Authentic, a company known to buy struggling businesses, has been focused on diversifying its portfolio outside of the U.S. It plans to expand the Hunter brand in Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and other markets across the Asia-Pacific region. The company said it would announce additional brand partners in the coming months.
Authentic’s longstanding partnerships with both Batra and Marc Fisher include a 2019 licensing deal with Batra to manage Juicy Couture’s European design, manufacturing and distribution, and a 2015 deal with Marc Fisher to handle the global business for Tretorn.
Beyond the brand’s well known Wellington rubber boot, 160-year-old Hunter sells men’s, women’s and children’s waterproof and weatherproof footwear, outerwear, bags and accessories.
Authentic owns a portfolio of 50 brands including Eddie Bauer, Frye, Reebok and Nautica.
