Focus Brands, the distributor that handles Ellesse, Nautica, Yogi, Peter Werth, Patrick, Farah Footwear and Avirex, has been sold by JD Sports, which had bought control of the firm in 2011 after initially buying a minority stake in 2007.
In order to focus on its core sports retail and outdoor businesses, JD Sports has been selling off non-essential assets. Hela Apparel Holdings, a firm based in Sri Lanka, has acquired the business for an unknown amount.
Focus is a streetwear and sportswear specialist, and Hela’s acquisition of the company is reportedly a first for the Sri Lankan fashion industry. Hela, which wants to develop into a completely vertically integrated service provider for the apparel industry, is also making a big stride with this move.
Its recent acquisition will serve as the cornerstone of Hela’s new brand licencing business, which will function independently for the time being.
Focus’s remit extends beyond the UK to all of Europe, as the company is the sole licence holder of Ellesse and Nautica inside the EU and beyond. Along with a network of warehouse locations throughout the UK and Europe, it also maintains a sourcing office in China and showrooms in London, Manchester, Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, and Amsterdam.
A R Rasiah, Chairman of Hela Apparel Holdings, said, “We see immense potential to build significant synergies with our existing manufacturing business, supported by the addition of a Focus Brands well-experienced team of over 200 who have a proven track record of successfully growing major apparel brands.”
The new Focus Brands CEO, Ray Evans, also said, “This acquisition is an exciting opportunity that will see the teams at Hela and Focus Brands coming together in collaboration, to create an exciting future for the business.”
