Cath Kidston owner Hilco Capital explores potential sale
The owner of "modern-vintage" brand Cath Kidston is exploring a sale just eight months after buying the business, according to Sky News.
The news agency has learnt that Hilco Capital has been approached by a number of potential buyers for the Cath Kidston brand. Sources have said that the firm is lining up PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to advise on a sale.
It is unclear whether any interested buyers would seek to take control of the whole company.
London-based Hilco Capital has invested in a number of British retailers, including Homebase, HMV and Bower & Wilkin.
In June 2022, the investment and advisory firm bought Cath Kidston from Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA). This followed reports that BPEA had instructed PwC to find a buyer for the brand, only two years after it fell into administration with the loss of nearly 1,000 jobs.
BPEA had took full control of Cath Kidston in 2016, after becoming a substantial shareholder in 2014. When when the pre-pack insolvency deal was struck it resulted in the closure of all of the brand’s UK high street stores.
Today, the brand is available online and only operates a handful of outlets, including a flagship in London's Piccadilly.
