Dive Brief:
- Authentic Brands Group is strengthening the presence of its Ted Baker brand in South Africa through a new partnership with Ares Holdings, according to a Tuesday press release sent to Fashion Dive.
- The deal includes the opening of two South Africa Ted Baker retail stores, in Johannesburg and Cape Town. In addition, Ares Holdings will oversee the brand’s distribution of sportswear, tailored clothing, denim apparel, outwear and footwear for men and women.
- In June, Authentic appointed Warren Bowers as its first general manager of Africa. Bowers, who is based in Cape Town, was tasked with expanding the company’s strategy and strategic partnerships in the region, and previously spent more than 12 years with Adidas.
Dive Insight:
When Authentic hired Bowers, the company said it was in the process of recruiting talent in order to expand its global physical presence. Bowers’ hire in particular was part of a plan to drive growth in Africa, a region Authentic said was “increasingly engaged.”
In Tuesday’s release, Bowers said the partnership with Ares was an exciting new chapter for the Ted Baker brand in South Africa.
“By combining Ted Baker’s brand DNA with Ares Holdings’ deep knowledge of the South African market, we’re creating exceptional shopping experiences for consumers in Johannesburg, Cape Town and beyond,” Bowers said.
The design of the Ted Baker store in Johannesburg is inspired by the equestrian heritage of London’s Hyde Park, per the release. The space features horseshoe and saddle decorations, and the fitting rooms are styled as horse stalls. Meanwhile, the company said the Cape Town store is inspired by the journey of penguins between London and Cape Town, and incorporates nautical details such as portholes and ropes, as well as Art Deco influences.
“We are excited to embark on this journey with Authentic to bring fresh energy to Ted Baker in South Africa,” Gareth Kemp, CEO of Ares Holdings, said in the release. “The two new retail spaces have come to life beautifully, showing off Ted’s quirky and unique character. There is no doubt that our customers are going to love shopping in these spaces.”
Ares Holdings also has the exclusive distribution rights in South Africa for Crocs, Birkenstock, Under Armour, Vans and Hey Dude, and has more than 65 retail stores, more than 2,500 wholesale doors and six owned e-commerce sites in the region, per the release.
Authentic, which has a portfolio of more than 50 brands including Reebok, Champion, Hunter and Vince, acquired Ted Baker in 2022.
In April of this year, Ted Baker operators in the U.S. and Canada filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy. In the insolvency filings, Antoine Adams, director and corporate secretary of Ted Baker in both countries, said that Authentic’s “operating partners in Europe and elsewhere” had failed to pay Ted Baker suppliers, and as a result, shipments to Ted Baker’s North America companies were held or shorted, which created delays and led to order cancellations and merchandise shortages.
Authentic entered new Ted Baker partnerships with United Legwear & Apparel Co., Peerless Clothing and BCI Brands in August for licenses in the U.S. and Canada. When those license deals were announced, Authentic added that details regarding additional Ted Baker global partner networks would follow.
