Rowlands Clothing acquired by Scotts & Co.

Multi-channel retailer, Scotts & Co., has announced the acquisition of fashion catalogue and online companies

Rowlands Clothing and Rosemex Trading, two months after Rowlands Clothing went into administration for the second time in two and half years.

Rowlands Clothing was first purchased by Rosemex Trading, a subsidiary of London-based New World Private Equity, in February 2012, days after it went into administration for the first time.

Scotts & Co., has now acquired both businesses from their private equity backers for an undisclosed sum, together with the customer database and all intellectual property, with the aim of relaunching Rowlands Clothing under its original name by February, 2015.

“This is a business that lost its way under private equity ownership and which needs to return to its roots,” commented Nigel Swabey, Chairman of Scotts & Co. “The process of restoring this great brand to its former glory needs to start with a complete re-design and re-balancing of the product range. Our aim is to create a new collection that honours the tradition of Rowlands of Bath as a retailer of high quality women’s clothing for the discerning customer aged 55 and up.”

“We know from direct experience, that the demographic of our customer database is ideally suited to the Rowlands Clothing proposition," added Swabey. "We look forward to re-launching the Rowlands business in February 2015, under the same name that Marjorie and David Rowland Jones chose for it in 1983 – Rowlands of Bath.”

Rowlands Clothing is the latest brand to be acquired by Scotts & Co., over the past five years. The company now consists of ten brands, each of which holds its own online site and catalogue, making it the largest multi-title catalogue and online retailer in the UK that is still privately owed.