Upper Street acquires US brand Milk & Honey

British made-to-order footwear brand Upper Street has acquired US competitor, Milk & Honey, for an undisclosed amount to expand its online business into the American market. The acquisition took six months to conclude and follows Upper Street’s round of investment in March, which raised

750,000 pounds in capital, to grow its business. As a result of the takeover with its American equivalent, the London-based luxury show label has more than doubled its customer base, as well as extended its social media reach and e-mail database ten-fold.

Commenting on the acquisition, Julia Grinham, co-founder of Upper Street London said: “We’re extremely excited to be taking on Milk & Honey’s existing loyal following as we continue to build our luxury design-your-own shoe brand globally.

“The luxury footwear market is worth 87 billion pounds but for those women who want individuality to reflect their style there is very little choice. Upper Street is growing as a brand and the acquisition of Milk & Honey shoes was a natural progression for us into the US market.”

Like Upper Street, Milk & Honey was founded by two sisters, Dorian and Ilissa Howard, who launched their business in the US not long after Upper Street launched in the UK. Since launching the label has attracted a global customer base, shipping shoes worldwide, however the sister duo have decided to focus their attention on their new hosiery brand, Wade and Belle.

"They had lost appetite for the business and didn't want to take it forward," Julia Grinham told The Telegraph. "We always keep our competitors close and knew them well, so when the opportunity came to buy it [Milk & Honey] we jumped at it."

Upper Street London buys US rivals Milk & Honey

In addition to the takeover, the investment capital is also being used on a number of innovative development projects, including the introduction of new shoe shapes, styles and materials, the launch of a new website and a brand new mobile optimised 3D shoe design tool.

Upper Street London is also preparing to open its first store, which will be situated just off Oxford Street in London’s West End, where customers will be able to book consultations and try shoes on. The Upper Street shoe lounge is expected to open in the autumn.

Launched in 2010, Upper Street allows consumers to design their own shoes by choosing different designs, colours, materials, heel height and widths in sizes 33 to 44, catering for more size options than most other online shoe retailers. Shoes cost between 195 and 350 pounds and take 3-4 weeks to produce.

Image: Upper Street London