Ascena Retail Group, which owns clothing brands such as Ann Taylor and Loft, said on Thursday it will be acquired by Premium Apparel LLC for $540 million on a cash-free and debt-free basis.
Premium Apparel, a unit of private equity firm Sycamore Partners, has committed to retain a substantial portion of the retail stores and associates affiliated with the brands, Ascena said in a statement.
Other brands under the Ascena Group, Lane Bryant and Lou & Grey will also be part of Premium Apparel’s acquisition.
The transaction is expected to be completed by mid-December, the statement said.
Other Ascena assets – Catherines and Justice – have been already sold off.
FullBeauty Brands Operations has completed its acquisition of the intellectual property assets and e-commerce business of Catherines, while a vehicle formed by Bluestar Alliance has completed its acquisition of the intellectual property of Justice, the statement said.
Ascena filed for chapter 11 protection in July.
Source: Reuters.com