ABG-Authentic Brands Group bought Guess and as a consequence brings its total turnover to 38 billion USD. The US company doesn’t stop buying and is now the world’s largest intellectual property platform in sports, lifestyle and entertainment. ABG owns more than 50 brands, with over 29,000 between independent stores and corner-shopes, and more than 500,000 points of sale worldwide.
ABG also takes over Guess
The most recent purchase, before Guess, was Dockers brand, taken over by Levi’s for $311 million in May. The most expensive was Reebok, taken over in 2022 by Adidas for $2.5 billion. Authentic Brands Group is a US company that manages and develops brand licenses and owns retail operations, including some in the luxury segment. Its portfolio includes, among others, Champion, Nautica, Aéropostale, Lucky Brand, Nine West, Brooks Brothers, Juicy Couture, Quiksilver, Billabong, Sperry, as well as the aforementioned Reebok and Dockers. Additionally, through a joint venture with Saks Global, ABG founded ALG-Authentic Luxury Group, it manages retail chains Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue, along with other less known ones.
A new component
This group has enriched its portfolio with another prestigious US brand: Guess. The latter brings around $6 billion in global sales, raising ABG’s turnover from $32 billion to $38 billion. The deal values Guess at $1.4 billion, inclusive of 1,600 shops, more than 1,000 of which are directly operated, WWD writes. Under the agreement, ABG will own 51% of a Newco that will own and license Guess’ intellectual property, including its name, logos and global licenses. The remaining 49% of this Newco will be owned by Guess’ co-founders Maurice and Paul Marciano, Nicolai Marciano and Guess’ CEO Carlos Alberini, who will retain operational management of the brand. ABG beat competition from WHP Global, as it was willing to pay $16.75 per share, compared to the $13 offered by its rival. Guess, after 30 active years on the stock exchange, will delist in the coming period.
Photos from Guess
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