Authentic Brands tipped to buy celebrity favourite boot maker Hunter
Americans hook up with British boot maker: Authentic Brands tipped to secure celebrity favorite Hunter in deal that could be worth £100m
Hunter, the British bootmaker behind wellies favored by celebrities such as actress Suki Waterhouse, is about to fall into the hands of a New York-based conglomerate.
Authentic Brands, owner of sportswear company Reebok, has reportedly been named as the preferred bidder in a sale process that started earlier this year.
A deal could be worth the shoe company at around £100 million.
Startup deal: Hunter boots are a favorite of celebrities like actress Suki Waterhouse (pictured)
It would be the last UK acquisition of Authentic, which last year took a majority stake in David Beckham’s global brand DB Ventures and acquired fashion retailer Ted Baker for £211 million.
Sky News reported that while Authentic was in pole position to buy Hunter Boot, Chinese digital trading group Baozun remained interested if talks faltered.
Founded in 1856, Edinburgh-based Hunter is majority owned by Pall Mall Legacy, a Goldman Sachs-backed investment vehicle.
The Wellington boot – which retails for £125 a pair – was first introduced in 1956. Hunter did not respond to a request for comment.