Frasers Group and Next said to be eyeing Ted Baker

Just a day after news of Ted Baker closing a third of its UK stores, it has been reported that two serial acquirers of distressed businesses have expressed an interest in taking on the operation.

And who are they? Step forward the usual suspects, Frasers Group and Next.

A report in The Times said they’ve contacted administrators at Teneo Advisory and “have expressed an interest in purchasing Ted Baker’s stricken European retail business”, which goes under the name No Ordinary Designer Label (NODL). The report also said they could explore a sale of “all or parts” of it.

Frasers and Next have been among the most active UK-based companies snapping up distressed fashion brands and Next has also struck partnership deals with brand owners for labels like Gap and Victoria’s Secret.

Next has existing links with Ted Baker too as it’s the licensing partner for the brand’s kidswear, nightwear and lingerie.

Other brands it owns or controls include Reiss, Joules, FatFace, Cath Kidston and JoJo Maman Bébé.

Meanwhile Frasers has acquired a raft of labels including Gieves & Hawkes and Jack Wills. But some other labels it has bought have been sold on (such as Missguided), closed down or placed into administration (Matches). The company also owns big chunks of stock exchange-listed firms Boohoo Group and ASOS.

Their supposed interest in Ted Baker (on which neither have so far commented) comes just a few weeks after NODL, which handled the label’s retail and e-tail business in the UK and Europe, went into administration. The Ted Baker brand’s ultimate owner, Authentic Brands Group, said the unit’s problems were “too much to overcome” following its link-up with Dutch company AARC.

Other parts of the wider Ted Baker business, such as PDS Group (its designer, supplier and wholesaler operator in the UK and Europe), and its North America operating partner OSL, weren’t affected by the administration move.