Authentic Brands Group acquires Hunter IP and announces growth plans

Authentic Brands Group has acquired the intellectual property of British heritage brand Hunter.

The addition of Hunter drives Authentic’s strategy of diversifying its portfolio with brands that originate from outside of 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.

In the US, Marc Fisher Footwear will become the core footwear partner for Hunter, taking on the brand’s footwear design, wholesale and e-commerce operations in the territory.

Jamie Salter, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Authentic Brands Group, said: “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.

The historic company, which holds two Royal Warrants, 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. Sales at the business were said to have picked up post-pandemic after the cancellation of big live festivals, such as Glastonbury where its boots were a favourite among festival-goers, hit its sales.

The move adds to Authentic's growing portfolio of brands. Last August, the company acquired Ted Baker for £211 million and earlier in 2022 it acquired both Reebok and David Beckham's DB Ventures. In April, it acquired the intellectual property of American brand Vince after the brand ran into financial difficulty.