The online business and IP rights of UK retailer Long Tall Sally have been acquired by AK Retail Holdings Ltd, the owner of specialist global womenswear brand Yours Clothing.
AK Retail Holdings’ portfolio also includes its menswear counterpart BadRhino, Bump It Up Maternity and Yours London. The firm will take ownership of the Long Tall Sally brand on 1 September.
The news was announced in an open letter from the retailer’s COO Alison Doherty, which noted customers can continue to shop online until 27 August.
“When we announced our closure back in June, we were heartbroken that Long Tall Sally would no longer exist but after weeks of negotiation, we’re thrilled that the brand can now live on,” she said.
The news comes two months after Long Tall Sally said it would wind down its operations after falling victim to the financial pressures of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, AK Retail Holdings said it will continue to trade Long Tall Sally as an online proposition and does not currently anticipate any retail stores.
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By GlobalDataCEO Andrew Killingsworth noted, however, that could change as the firm starts developing the brand from September.
“I am very keen to speak to all Long Tall Sally customers so they can tell me what was right and wrong, they play a big part in how we develop the brand and create an exciting new future, details of these communication methods will be announced soon,” he added.
“Long Tall Sally is a global brand to be proud of and 50% of its business comes from North America, which is a great opportunity for us, we look forward to developing that side of the business further.”
A number of brands and retailers have succumbed to bankruptcy and announced plans to close down operations after suffering under the weight of the pandemic.
Off-price fashion retailer Stein Mart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week in a move that will see it likely to close most – if not all – of its 281 brick-and-mortar stores.
While earlier this summer, US specialty apparel retailer Gap Inc revealed plans to wind down its performance menswear brand Hill City as it prioritises resources against its larger labels.
