Swaine Adeney Brigg in Administration?

[Gus]

I remember when SAB had a store in San Francisco. I used to love going in and getting a wiff of the rich leather scent in the air. Ahhhhhh.

Good luck to them.

 

[ThinkDerm]

their products are sold heavily at a store in Georgetown DC

 

[Reevolving]



Why did you spend so much? I got my last one on the streets of Manhattan for $5 in a rain storm. But you know what will happen? Nobody will steal it and I will never leave it anywhere. I'll probably be stuck with this sucker for the next few years. As soon as I buy a SAB umbrella I'll leave it in a cab....

I felt $40 was worth spending on an umbrella with a few style points.
Tasteful blue tattersall looks different than another generic black umbrella.
But, I wasn't really prepared to spend much more than $50 for an umbrella.
$1000? Get the **** out. Do I look that stupid? And like you said, these things get lost/stolen, all the time.
And that's what style is all about, to me.
$40 was in the sweet spot, so I bit. So far, happy with the purchase.

 

[ThinkDerm]



I felt $40 was worth spending on an umbrella with a few style points.
Tasteful blue tattersall looks different than another generic black umbrella.
But, I wasn't really prepared to spend much more than $50 for an umbrella.
$1000? Get the **** out. Do I look that stupid? And like you said, these things get lost/stolen, all the time.
And that's what style is all about, to me.
$40 was in the sweet spot, so I bit. So far, happy with the purchase.

$1000 makes you more careful where you leave the thing.

 

[Joenobody0]



buy now.

I bought one 3 years ago, in my late 20's, so I could use it and enjoy it for many years.

 

[ThinkDerm]



I bought one 3 years ago, in my late 20's, so I could use it and enjoy it for many years.

I have more than a few, and I'm proud.

 

[ThinkDerm]

They are worth it.

 

[Joenobody0]



They are worth it.

I was actually talking about a case, but their umbrellas are lovely as well.

 

[ThinkDerm]



I was actually talking about a case, but their umbrellas are lovely as well.

that too.

 

[apropos]

Thought you guys might be interested in this:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[Equus Leather]

Hopefully the restructure won't mean lower standards, they are one of the very few well known (ish) brands who have genuinely first class craftsmanship. Whoever said they were an anachronism is right in that the still make genuinely good stuff. I hope the new financiers don't just milk the brand for all its worth.

The guy I trained with served his apprenticeship at a SAB owned company. Makes me sad the great names are all slowly dying of globalisation..

Charlie

 

[MikeDT]



+1.
Their shop on St. James is constantly empty. In fact - I don't think I've ever seen another soul in there and I usually pop in once a month.
It would be a great shame if this was the case.

I guess there's not too many people who want to be spending £500 quid on an umbrella.

 

[MalfordOfLondon]



I guess there's not too many people who want to be spending £500 quid on an umbrella.

The fact that they've been around for over 200 years might suggest otherwise.

 

[MikeDT]



The fact that they've been around for over 200 years might suggest otherwise.

But didn't you say though "Their shop on St. James is constantly empty." They could have been around for 1,000 years, but if there's no one buying their products now, they're not going to survive.

swaine54's earlier comments about, "...position to pursue expansion and growth.", that sounds distinctly ominous to me.

BTW I don't actually own an umbrella, don't need one living in the middle of a desert, hardly ever rains here.

There's a shop in my neighbourhood that sells extremely expensive cashmere jumpers, it's always empty. No one around here buys expensive cashmere jumpers. The company does quite well though, because their primary business is wholesale cashmere for export.

Maybe SAB could turn things around by making a name for themselves in China? I'm sure there's plenty of nouveau riche in the big cities eager to buy expensive foreign lux products. It can rain a lot in Shanghai.

 

[MalfordOfLondon]



But didn't you say though "Their shop on St. James is constantly empty." They could have been around for 1,000 years, but if there's no one buying their products now, they're not going to survive.
swaine54's earlier comments about, "...position to pursue expansion and growth.", that sounds distinctly ominous to me.
BTW I don't actually own an umbrella, don't need one living in the middle of a desert, hardly ever rains here.

Well I think the market is definitely still around. I don't think people have stopped spending money on luxury items. You only have to take a look at Hermes on Bond St or Louis Vuitton on any day of the week. Maybe as time goes on - less and less people are aware of SAB and the kind of products that they manufacture.

I'm thinking that a lot of their custom must be mail order / internet based as certainly the current state of affairs in the shop cannot generate enough income to sustain what must be an astronomical rental charge for the property on St. James.

I also wonder if they still product equestrian goods? There's certainly none on offer on the website or on display at the store.