Authentic Brands Group acquires Boardriders
Cassidy STEPHENS
Another step forward for the world’s leading surf brand group. Five years after OaktreeQuiksilverBillabongBoardridersAuthentic Brands Group
Even if the influence of board sports brands in the fashion world has declined since the glory days of the 1990s and 2000s, Boardriders, with its portfolio of Quiksilver, Billabong, RvcaElementDC Shoes
Boardriders now has offices in the United States and Australia, as well as in Europe, in Saint-Jean de Luz in the southwest of France. In 2018, Oaktree Capital Management, which has owned Boardriders since 2016, bought Billabong and Rvca, which were in financial difficulty, for around $250 million. Since then, the group’s management and the brands have been working on integrating the labels, with, for example, Billabong’s teams leaving the historic headquarters in Hossegor in the Landes region to join Boardriders’ buildings in Saint-Jean de Luz in the Atlantic
“We are proud of our deep connection to the global board sports community, but also to have industry leading brands and world class teams,” said Arne Arens
Internationale ambitions
For ABG, this acquisition will enable it to integrate new international brands into its already extensive catalogue of labels. In the world of sports and boardsports, the American group already relies on VolcomSpyderReebokAdidasTed Baker
“As an early believer in the global and commercial reach of action sports, this acquisition takes me back to where I started my career,” said Jamie Salter, founder, chairman and CEO of Authentic. “In addition to the great brands and impressive global reach that will come from this acquisition, we see the potential for Boardriders to be a successful online marketplace under Authentic’s leadership. With Boardriders’ retail experience, we also see tremendous opportunities to accelerate the expansion of its shop-in-shops, branded shops, wholesale and e-commerce businesses around the world.”
The New York-based giant is a brand management specialist that supports the marketing development of its labels and finds partners in various markets to implement its strategy.
“Authentic is committed to transforming brands through powerful storytelling, compelling content, innovative business models and immersive experiences,” the company details in its presentation. “Authentic creates and activates unique marketing strategies to ensure the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media.
Previously perceived as a player interested in celebrity brands (Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, Shaquille O’Neal, Marilyn Monroe,…) with a few American ready-to-wear brands in its portfolio, ABG has become a leading player very active in the field of acquisitions and has gradually built a group with names such as NauticaBarneysForever 21Izod
