Nine West, Authentic Brands And The Future Of Apparel Retail

The Nine West brand is entering its second life. With its former parent company (which still bears the same name) in Chapter 11, Nine West has joined the likes of Nautica, Airwalk and Shaquille O’Neal — as well as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and a couple dozen more — at Authentic Brands Group. The $340 million acquisition is a descriptive one for this moment in retail. Nine West the operator, struggling under a debt pile from a private equity buyout, suffered financially with the decline in department stores and mall traffic. The retailer and wholesaler went bankrupt, while the brand holding company that bought the Nine West name has found success in keeping its books relatively clean of assets — and the capital expenses that come with them. Read more at Retail Dive.