Authentic Brands Group acquires IP of British heritage brand Hunter
US private equity-backed Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which owns Reebok and Ted Baker, has completed the acquisition of British heritage brand Hunter.
The announcement comes as part of Authentic’s “brand-building approach”. It said the acquisition of Hunter “drives the firms strategy of diversifying its portfolio with brands that originate from outside the US.
The company plans to tap Hunter’s global network of category experts and operating partners to accelerate the expansion of Hunter in the US and Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as key markets across the Asia Pacific region.
As part of the deal, Authentic has appointed The Batra Group and Marc Fisher Footwear as Hunter’s “core partners” in key regions.
Based in the UK, The Batra Group will be responsible for designing and developing Hunter footwear, apparel and accessories, as well as operating the brand’s retail stores, wholesale distribution and e-commerce in the UK and continental Europe.
Jamie Salter, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Authentic Brands Group, commented:
“We are excited to finalise the acquisition of Hunter, an original footwear and outerwear pioneer. We are also pleased to expand our relationships with two long-standing Authentic partners, Batra Group and Marc Fisher, each of whom has a proven track record of unparalleled expertise in product development across a range of categories and an established network of prominent retailers.
“We look forward to working with them and our greater partner network to continue growing the Hunter brand.”
Hunter has been on the market since February when it secured an additional £7 million of funding from shareholders and lenders to position it for sale. Restructuring experts AlixPartners have been working with the company on the sale process.
Hunter, was last saved at the height of the pandemic in 2020 through a £16.5 million capital injection, part of which came from Pall Mall Legacy. Pall Mall Legacy previously owned the majority of Hunter’s shares, alongside Searchlight Capital Partners, a private equity firm, and brand house Pentland Group.
Hunter was founded in 1856 and was originally known as the North British Rubber Company.
The move adds to Authentic’s growing portfolio of brands; in August 2022, Authentic acquired Ted Baker for £211 million and earlier in 2022 it acquired both Reebok and David Beckham’s DB Ventures. In April, it acquired American brand Vince.
