ABG and SPARC Group Acquire Lucky Brand
The Strategic Partnership Positions the American Denim Brand for International Growth
Authentic Brands Group LLC (ABG), a global brand owner, marketing and entertainment company, and SPARC Group, LLC (SPARC), a leading retail enterprise, today announced that they have acquired Lucky Brand.
SPARC, which is partially owned by ABG, is the dedicated operating company for Aéropostale and Nautica. Through this new acquisition, SPARC assumes the role of core licensee and operating partner for Lucky Brand and will oversee all sourcing, product design and development, wholesale, operations of the brand’s North American retail stores, and its growing e-commerce business. ABG owns the Lucky Brand intellectual property and will oversee all licensing partnerships, new business and brand development. Brand marketing, which will be heavily focused on digital activations, social media and emerging platforms, will be shared by SPARC and ABG.
“We are pleased to welcome this iconic, heritage denim brand to ABG,” said Jamie Salter, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of ABG. “This acquisition boosts the value of our portfolio to more than $13 billion in global retail sales annually. Lucky Brand’s DNA resonates strongly with today’s youth and we see tremendous opportunity to unlock its value in key territories around the world. With ABG’s social media expertise and content development capabilities we are ready to hit the ground running and expand quickly into new categories and markets.”
“Building on the foundation we’ve created with Aéropostale and Nautica, we are excited to partner with ABG to expand and enhance SPARC through Lucky Brand,” said Marc Miller, CEO of SPARC. “This acquisition will diversify our growing brand platform, which includes approximately 750 SPARC-owned and operated locations in the U.S., plus e-commerce and wholesale that collectively drive over $2 billion in retail sales annually.” SPARC also supports partners who are driving another $2 billion in annual retail sales through approximately 2,000 freestanding stores and shop-in-shops worldwide.
Known for its vintage-inspired, bohemian style, Lucky Brand offers a selection of high-quality denim in a wide variety of fits, washes and styles, as well as apparel, outerwear, accessories and a home collection for men, women and children. The brand has more than 175 locations and a robust e-commerce business across North America and is available in select department stores, independent boutiques and on luckybrand.com.
The Lucky Brand ownership group will work with various landlords to maintain key stores across North America. There will also be an emphasis on driving distribution across e-commerce, marketplaces, department stores, specialty and freestanding locations in North America and international territories including Latin America, Europe and Asia.
