Yours Clothing owner AK Retail acquires Evans

AK Retail, the owner of Yours Clothing and M&Co, has acquired plus-size clothing retailer Evans for £8 million.

The Peterborough-based company has purchased the brand name and intellectual property from Australia-based firm City Chic Collective.

City Chic Collective acquired Evans in December 2020 from Sir Philip Green's collapsed Arcadia Group. It paid £23 million for the brand's e-commerce and wholesale business.

Andrew Killingsworth, Founder and CEO of AK Retail, said: "I am thrilled at the acquisition of Evans. This is not an insignificant business – it is very well known worldwide. I will be looking at how to revitalise this brand and make it what it should be."

Killingsworth said that one of his priorities will be to hold online meetings with the brand's customers to find out what they want from Evans.

The deal will also involve the closure of City Chic’s UK warehouse amid the opening of a new warehouse in Peterborough, according to the Peterborough Telegraph.

The move is the latest in a number of acquisitions by AK Retail, which also owns BadRhino and Pixiegirl.

The company rescued M&Co earlier this year, after the clothing chain collapsed into administration in December 2022.