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New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 7th, 2023, 2:31 am
by Deleted User 415
From the press releases it appears Authentic Brands took ownership of Hunter Boots a few days ago.

I wonder what changes are coming?

Authentic Brands is owner of Tretorn as well.

Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 7th, 2023, 8:43 am
by pvcluver
I bought a Tretorn raincoat in their Christmas sale last year and am really pleased with it

Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 7th, 2023, 8:27 pm
by arcticrain18
This was sad news. ABG is a front for a private equity firm. They'll milk all the cash they can out of the hunter label. Quality will go down and new product offerings will be few and far between. The Hunter brand will go from an Icon to just another label on a generic product.

Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 7th, 2023, 9:24 pm
by Rainworshipper
arcticrain18 wrote: June 7th, 2023, 8:27 pm This was sad news. ABG is a front for a private equity firm. They'll milk all the cash they can out of the hunter label. Quality will go down and new product offerings will be few and far between. The Hunter brand will go from an Icon to just another label on a generic product.
I think that you are spot on, arcticrain. When private equity firms take over established brand names the manufacturing is outsourced and the quality goes down.

Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 9th, 2023, 3:46 am
by SanneRWP
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Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 10th, 2023, 2:56 pm
by rainwearseeker
i have a few pairs of hunter boots. the teal gloss pair were made of a softer rubber while the others have this more stiff plasticky shell to them.

Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 13th, 2023, 5:16 pm
by annabell-cagoule
This is in my experience of working in the trade always the start to the demise of a brand as we know it. Quality will go down and it will end up in multiple high street stores for discounted prices and poorer quality. Seen it with so many brands.

Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 13th, 2023, 6:01 pm
by TStorm56
Hunter moved production offshore in the mid to late 2000s. Since then quality has been all over the place.

Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 15th, 2023, 12:26 am
by Bill_P
SanneRWP wrote: June 9th, 2023, 3:46 am
arcticrain18 wrote: June 7th, 2023, 8:27 pm This was sad news. ABG is a front for a private equity firm. They'll milk all the cash they can out of the hunter label. Quality will go down and new product offerings will be few and far between. The Hunter brand will go from an Icon to just another label on a generic product.
This already happened in 2004 with an MBO, followed by bankruptcy in 2006, a restructering, and the moving of production to China in 2008.
Since then quality has been low and they have been trying to milk cash relentlessly out of customers with umbrellas, flipflops, sweaters, and other "fashion" stuff. I am not sure they can make it much worse from here onwards...
ABG: Hold my beer

Re: New corporate owner of Hunter boots?

Posted: June 22nd, 2023, 10:41 am
by raincoat_robot
Bill_P wrote: June 15th, 2023, 12:26 am
SanneRWP wrote: June 9th, 2023, 3:46 am
arcticrain18 wrote: June 7th, 2023, 8:27 pm This was sad news. ABG is a front for a private equity firm. They'll milk all the cash they can out of the hunter label. Quality will go down and new product offerings will be few and far between. The Hunter brand will go from an Icon to just another label on a generic product.
This already happened in 2004 with an MBO, followed by bankruptcy in 2006, a restructering, and the moving of production to China in 2008.
Since then quality has been low and they have been trying to milk cash relentlessly out of customers with umbrellas, flipflops, sweaters, and other "fashion" stuff. I am not sure they can make it much worse from here onwards...
ABG: Hold my beer
:lol:

Fingers crossed they continue the vinyl lines.