Americans close in on British wellie maker: Authentic Brands tipped to snap up celebrity favourite Hunter in deal that could be worth £100m
Hunter, the British bootmaker behind wellies that are a favourite of celebrities such as actress Suki Waterhouse, could be about to fall into the hands of a New York-based conglomerate.
Authentic Brands, which owns sportswear firm Reebok, has reportedly been named as the preferred bidder in a sale process that kicked off earlier this year.
A deal could value the footwear company at around £100million.
It would be the latest British acquisition by Authentic, which last year took a majority stake in David Beckham’s global brand DB Ventures and snapped up fashion retailer Ted Baker for £211million.
Sky News reported that while Authentic was in pole position to buy Hunter Boot, China’s digital commerce group Baozun remained interested if the talks falter.
Edinburgh-based Hunter, founded in 1856, is majority-owned by Pall Mall Legacy, a Goldman Sachs-backed investment vehicle.
Its Wellington boot – which sells at £125 a pair – was first introduced in 1956. Hunter did not respond to a request for comment.
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