{"id":3159,"date":"2026-01-21T15:15:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/?p=3159"},"modified":"2026-01-21T15:15:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:15:40","slug":"next-snaps-up-russell-bromley-in-3-8m-deal-hundreds-of-jobs-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/?p=3159","title":{"rendered":"Next snaps up Russell & Bromley in \u00a33.8M deal, hundreds of jobs at risk"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Next has agreed to buy the Russell & Bromley footwear brand out of administration for \u00a33.8 million, securing the future of the 145-year-old name but leaving hundreds of jobs at risk as dozens of stores fall outside the deal.<\/p>\n

The British retailer, founded in 1879 in Eastbourne, has been struggling amid a tough trading environment for the high street. <\/p>\n

While the rescue preserves the brand and its intellectual property, the majority of Russell & Bromley\u2019s physical retail estate will not transfer to Next.<\/p>\n

Limited store rescue leaves jobs uncertain<\/h2>\n

Russell & Bromley currently trades from 36 stores and nine concessions across the UK and Ireland. <\/p>\n

Under the terms of the deal, Next will take on just three flagship stores, located in Chelsea, Mayfair and the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent.<\/p>\n

Around 48 store staff are expected to transfer as part of the acquisition. <\/p>\n

However, roughly 400 jobs are likely to be lost at the 33 stores and nine concessions not included in the transaction.<\/p>\n

Administrators from Interpath said the remaining stores would continue trading for now while options are assessed, including potential sales or closures.<\/p>\n

Brand and stock form the core of the deal<\/h2>\n

The acquisition includes Russell & Bromley\u2019s brand and related assets, as well as about \u00a31.3 million worth of stock.<\/p>\n

Financial details beyond the headline \u00a33.8 million price were not disclosed.<\/p>\n

Next said the purchase would allow the footwear label to refocus on its heritage as a premium brand, centred on design, craftsmanship and curation, rather than supporting a costly bricks-and-mortar network.<\/p>\n

Andrew Bromley, chief executive of Russell & Bromley and a member of the founding family, said the decision to sell followed a strategic review with advisers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the best route to secure the future for the brand,\u201d he said, thanking staff, suppliers and customers for their support.<\/p>\n

Next\u2019s growing stable of brands<\/h2>\n

The deal is the latest in a series of opportunistic acquisitions by Next, which has built a diverse portfolio of fashion and lifestyle brands in recent years.<\/p>\n

It has previously snapped up Cath Kidston, Joules and maternitywear retailer Seraphine at distressed valuations, alongside acquiring Made.com\u2019s brand and intellectual property after its collapse.<\/p>\n

Next also runs the UK operations for Gap and Victoria\u2019s Secret and owns stakes in brands including FatFace. <\/p>\n

Under the long leadership of Lord Wolfson, the retailer has been widely praised for its disciplined approach to costs, stock management and online logistics.<\/p>\n

A challenging backdrop for retail<\/h2>\n

The rescue of Russell & Bromley highlights the pressures facing even long-established retailers as consumer spending remains subdued and operating costs stay high.<\/p>\n

A string of familiar names have entered administration in recent months. <\/p>\n

The Original Factory Shop and accessories chain Claire\u2019s are both undergoing restructuring processes, while Bodycare\u2019s collapse last year led to around 1,000 job losses. <\/p>\n

River Island has also announced store closures in an effort to avoid a wider failure.<\/p>\n

Next recently upgraded its full-year profit forecast after a strong Christmas trading period, underlining the growing divide between well-capitalised operators and struggling high street peers. <\/p>\n

For Russell & Bromley, the deal offers a chance of survival as a brand, even as its physical footprint shrinks sharply.<\/p>\n

The post Next snaps up Russell & Bromley in \u00a33.8M deal, hundreds of jobs at risk<\/a> appeared first on Invezz<\/a><\/p>\n

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Next has agreed to buy the Russell & Bromley footwear brand out of administration for \u00a33.8 million, securing the future of the 145-year-old name but leaving hundreds of jobs at risk as dozens of stores fall outside the deal.The British retailer, founded in 1879 in Eastbourne, has been struggling amid a tough trading environment for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stock"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tradertideinsights.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}