London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Next in advanced talks to snap up vintage brand Cath Kidston

Next in advanced talks to snap up vintage brand Cath Kidston

The FTSE-100 retail giant is closing in on a deal to add Cath Kidston to a portfolio which includes Made.com and Joules.

Next is in advanced talks to buy Cath Kidston in its latest swoop on a prominent but troubled retail brand.

Sky News has learnt that the FTSE-100 chain, which has a market value of close to £8.7bn, could wrap up a deal to acquire the modern vintage label as soon as Tuesday.

Banking sources said an agreement was likely but not certain.

Cath Kidston has been owned by Hilco Capital, the specialist retail investor, for less than a year.

Next's prospective swoop on it marks a further attempt to build a portfolio of wholly owned retail labels.

Its acquisition strategy has focused on well-known names which have run into financial difficulties and which can benefit from Next's logistics and marketing muscle.

Among the brands it has bought are Made, the online furniture retailer, and Joules, the fashion group which collapsed into administration late last year.

It also bid for TopShop, the then jewel in the crown of Sir Philip Green's high street empire, but pulled out of an auction before the brand was sold to ASOS.

Next is due to report full-year results on Wednesday and is forecast by City analysts to unveil record pre-tax profits of more than £850m.
Advertisement

PricewaterhouseCoopers has been advising Hilco on a sale of Cath Kidston for several weeks, and is understood to have held talks with a number of potential bidders.

Cath Kidston has been owned by Hilco Capital for less than a year


Cath Kidston was bought out of administration little more than two years ago by Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA).

At one stage, it had scores of shops, but now trades from fewer than a handful of its own outlets, having collapsed into administration in 2020 with the loss of nearly 1,000 jobs.

It was established by its eponymous founder in 1993, and became a high street fixture with scores of standalone shops.

Like many retailers, however, its fortunes were hit by the pandemic, forcing it into insolvency about three years ago.

BPEA, which took full control of Cath Kidston in 2016, struck a pre-pack insolvency deal which entailed the closure of its UK high street estate.

It still has fewer than a handful of stores in Saudi Arabia.

Known for its floral and polka dot designs, Cath Kidston has been run for several years by Melinda Paraie, who joined as chief executive from luxury goods brand Coach in 2018.

It expanded from a single shop in west London selling car boot finds and vintage fabric into a business offering fashion, homewares and accessories.

The chain made a fortune for its founder when she sold a stake to private equity firm TA Associates about 12 years ago in a deal reportedly worth £100m.

Next and Hilco declined to comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×