Cath Kidston
United Kingdom
Cath Kidston is a British brand known for floral and polka dot prints, founded by Cath Kidston, whose first shop opened in Holland Park, London, in 1993. It entered administration in 2020, relaunched, and was bought by Hilco Capital in June 2022. Its current ownership could not be confirmed.
| Founded | 1993 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Cath Kidston |
| First shop | Holland Park, London |
| Administration | 2020 |
| Last confirmed purchase | Hilco Capital, June 2022 |
| Segment | Premium and contemporary |
| Website | cathkidston.com |
What is Cath Kidston?
Cath Kidston is a British lifestyle brand known for nostalgic floral and polka dot prints on home furnishings, bags and related goods. It is named after its founder, who opened her first shop in Holland Park, London, in 1993, initially selling hand-embroidered tea towels.
History
Wikipedia reports that Kidston sold a majority stake to the private equity firm TA Associates in 2010, in a deal reported at £100 million, and kept a minority stake and the role of creative director. The brand had 136 outlets by the end of 2013, including a Piccadilly flagship and four stores in China, and collaborated with partners such as Millets, Nokia, Roberts and Tesco. Baring Private Equity Asia took full control in 2016, according to The Industry Fashion.
Administration and relaunch
The brand fell into administration in 2020, which cost nearly 1,000 jobs and 60 UK stores, and all UK high street stores closed. It relaunched later in 2020, selling mainly online. Hilco Capital announced a buy-out around 30 June 2022. At that point the company reported sales of £29 million for the year ending March 2022 and said it had returned to profitability.
Business model and distribution
At the time of the Hilco deal Cath Kidston operated four UK shops, 95 shop-in-shops, a wholesale business and eight international franchises, and sold online. In 2023, Hilco was reported to be exploring a sale, and Sky News reported that NEXT was in advanced talks to acquire the brand, though no completed deal was confirmed in the sources consulted. This profile therefore leaves current ownership blank.
Why it matters
Cath Kidston is a documented case of a high street lifestyle brand shrinking to an online, wholesale and franchise model after administration, with its ownership changing several times since 2010.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Cath Kidston?
Hilco Capital bought Cath Kidston from Baring Private Equity Asia in June 2022. Reports in 2023 said Hilco was exploring a sale, and the current owner could not be confirmed in the sources consulted.
What happened to Cath Kidston?
Cath Kidston entered administration in 2020, which cost nearly 1,000 jobs and 60 UK stores. It relaunched as a mainly online brand with wholesale, shop-in-shops and franchises.