Swaine Adeney Brigg in Administration?

[Ich_Dien]



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

Didn't this stuff used to be downstairs?

 

[MikeDT]



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.

I guess SAB will probably come out of administration, but in a much leaner and more profitable form, assuming the administrators manage to find an investor. It's a famous old name and there is probably still demand for their products.

BTW I do like SAB's leather products, although I don't have any, but I couldn't ever imagine dropping £500 quid on a brolly, no matter how much it rained.

Hardy Amies collapsed into receivership a few years ago, but they're still around, although they did close most of their high rent brick and mortar stores*, and are now owned by investors from Hong Kong I believe.


*I remember in 2008, HA had just opened a shiny new store at the new Cabot Circus shopping mall in Bristol, within two weeks it was closed down for good.

 

[Sean Yamazaki]

Administration. Ouch. I'm seriously considering ordering a Westminster wrap around from them in the next week or so. I'm in a bit of a conundrum - I honestly can't justify getting one to use now, but I'm thinking it would make a great investment for the future. My concern is SAB comes out of Admin (Chapter 11 here in the 'States), trims the "fat" and becomes a leaner, meaner company its product suffers a general decline in quality as a result.

Whatever the case, it'll be a few years until I can appropriately use the case for anything, but meh, I'll be set for the decades when I do use it.

 

[Stazy]

I caved and bought an umbrella. I've wanted one for a few years and figured I'd regret not owning one if they go bankrupt or reemerge with poorer quality goods.

 

[EFBenson]

SAB news

 

[Olivier F]

Very very bad experience!!! Run away!!!!!
I ordered 2 bags which were supposed to be for everyday use and delivered me 2 bags to travel. After many discussions I accepted to keep one and I just asked to change me one, and they did not even accept. They offered me a discount on the next bag, but there will never be another one. I never saw that before. In any store. They don't take care at all of the satisfaction of the customer. What a shame for a so high price label... Incredible.

 

[Agatha Crusty]

There still seems to be dozens upon dozens of people who are stupid enough to fritter away money on brand prestige; even when the revered names are openly rehashed operations run by venture capitalists trading on past prestige. They must laugh at all the clowns dropping half a month's salary on a bag made in an Asian 'workshop' and successfully marketed with an aura of tradition which helps the customer delude himself that it actually might have been stitched together by an old craftsman in Mayfair.

The same goes for the folks who bought Hayward's and Anthony Sinclair's operations, operating as though the two men were still alive. The latter is especially sad, they successfully have a client base of fools who think they are buying a piece of real James Bond style.

 

[Omega]

I think SAB took totally different route from what you expect - I bought Papworth 81 briefcase for less than £100 10 years ago (I admit, I was very lucky) when they were about £300£350 (if you nicely ask for a very big discount), now they cost £1100!!! Common, I think only a year ago they were under £900. And repairing them is also very expensive - I lost a small screw from the lock and was given a rough estimate of at least £40, I fixed it for free with a local custom belts maker.
While I like the brand, I don't think I will buy anything from them again - nice looking, long lasting, but too expensive to repair. I think you guys in the USA can find really good custom cases for much less money.
The other brand I used to like, but now i don't think worth buying is Globetrotter - I bought their backpack for £5 (again, it was really big discount) when I was a student, it did last me quite a while before it broke down and I had to change for Victorinox under warranty. However, Globetrotter nowadays is way too expensive, Tumi, Samsonite, Henri Lloyd and many other brands can offer more convenient luggage for much lower price.

 

[ThinkDerm]

who ended up buying SAB?

 

[munshpe]

If they are going bankrupt, this might explain the horrible experience I had with them. I bought a Westminister 3 briefcase from them. When it arrived, I noticed a large stain on the inner flap of the case. I notified Susan at Swaine Adeney Brigg about this and she never replied. I also informed her about two major errors that they had on their website describing the case--wrong measurement and a mentioned pockets in the case (it doesn't come standard with pockets). She corrected both mistakes without ever saying thank you or apologizing from the quality control problem--I never received an e-mail back from her on these issues. If they are going bankrupt, I think that I've found my answer for this lack of courtesy and quality control issues. I'll never buy from them again. I'm an American and this is the first bad experience that I've ever had buying from a British company. Typically, the British goods that I've bought have been of excellent quality. Thank you.

 

[Nikola]

Here we are in 2015. So what happened with Swaine?

 

[bengal-stripe]

Swaine Adeney Brigg were away from the London retail scene for maybe a year and then settled in one of the shops in Piccadilly Arcade, occupying maybe 20% of their former space. I presume, but I don't know for certain, they are now under different owners.

http://www.swaineadeneybrigg.com/swaine-adeney/

 

[comrade]



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.

I was one of their customers. They sold clothing as well as leather goods and even had a riding equipage
expert on their sales staff. I still have some of their slacks and shirts from the 90s. The manager of the
Ghurka Shop in San Francisco, where we had a Meet-Up a year and a half ago, is a SAB San Francisco
alum.

 

[Leander walker]

Swaine Adeney still producing top quality products. They no longer wholesale,the goods are only sold direct to consumer. Swaine Adeney,Ettinger,Foster Shoes all make nice briefcases in England if you live in new york,you can now buy ettinger leather goods at Turnbull and Asser store. Currently this is the only place you can buy a lid-over-body attache in new york,whereas a few years ago,there were five different stores that sold them