Aquascutum in receivership

[Midpoint]

Sad news, Aquascutum has been placed in receivership: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17744983

 

[LS7]

Just read about this on the BBC News website. The article states that there are only 3 stores in the UK: Canary Wharf, Westfield and Windsor. Had they previously closed the Regent Street flagship?

 

[MikeDT]

Perhaps they can do like Burberry did and turn themselves around, find an appropriate investor.

Aquacustum is still a famous respected British brand, isn't it?

Think their main product is raincoats, they'll probably have to relaunch and diversify, like what Burberry did. They're almost unheard of here in China, unlike Burberry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17744983
Its clothes are manufactured in Corby, Northamptonshire.
...that will probably end.

 

[AndyMG]

They'd better not go bust before I finish saving for my trench coat.

 

[E TF]

Yes the Regent St shop shut a year or two ago - I think the writing has been on the wall since then. You could buy their rain coats on perpetual sale in Austin Reed over the road but that was a much more downmarket experience than their own shop. They seemed to be going in the opposite direction to Burberry in that respect and it clearly hasn't worked. I found it interesting in that article that they had only three stores but seven outlets: I suspect they diluted their own brand - something Burberry once did but has since worked hard to reverse.

 

[MikeDT]



They'd better not go bust before I finish saving for my trench coat. 

You'll probably be able to buy a Made in China one next year.

 

[Achilles_]

I see burberry stuff here in the midwest (in general, not a brand conscious place. at least not a quality brand) I mostly see purses and scarves, it is always a woman.


I may be the only person with aquascutum stuff though. I own a trench coat and a mac coat, both navy/blue, both 100% cotton. I would not trade them for anything!

 

[Holdfast]

Shame. Hopefully there's a way forward; they do make nice raincoats.

 

[Douglas]

I've never been able to get past the name.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I have a beautiful lightweight wool and silk Aquascutum jacket. Their stuff is always good but their problem is that they have not really established a consistent, distinctive and recognisable identity, which sadly matters more than just making good clothes in a global marketplace.

 

[NotoriousMarquis]



You'll probably be able to buy a Made in China one next year.

This sentence made me a depressed lol

 

[Equus Leather]

Its a great shame, another top notch English manufacturer with not far off 200 years of heritage down the drain. Wether they live or die now theres very little chance it'll ever be the same business, outside investors will nearly inevitably squeeze the corpse dry of credibility then sell the brand name on..

 

[Ivon]

Not sure if they are completely done, their is substantial value attached with the name, but after reading over the article I see some tricky obstacles if I were a potential buyer. First would be where to we go with the brand? Asian rights might be the key to long term viability, but a third party owns them? My best guess is some global conglomerate will snatch them up and try to do a brand reinvention a la Burberry. No reason they can't go forward with new backing and a better vision. Barbour and Burberry seem to be doing well these days. Didn't Norman Hilton go **** up a few years ago?

 

[Infrasonic]

...

 

[Tweedy]

Such a shame and sadly a sign of the times we live in ...