Catalyst Brands news and archive

Brooks Brothers' Ken Ohashi breaks down the decisions behind a 1 billion dollar comeback

When Ken Ohashi took over Brooks Brothers, the label was fresh out of Chapter 11, still typecast as a suit-and-tie business, and losing money. Five years later it turns over more than 1 billion dollars across 600-plus doors, sportswear makes up close to a third of sales, and nine new stores are opening in 2026. "We're not trying to invent a new...

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Natalie Levy: How the CEO rebuilt Aéropostale and Lucky Brand

Natalie Levy arrived at Aéropostale in 2017 as president and chief merchandise officer, just two months after the company had been removed from a 243.3 million dollar bankruptcy sale. She was the first executive hire brought in to rebuild the brand, which was known at the time for selling mainly logo T-shirts and fleece for young consumers. She...

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Business

Eddie Bauer store operator reportedly set to file for bankruptcy, affecting 200 stores in US

Eddie Bauer is said to be preparing to file for bankruptcy and shut down its 200 North American stores, according to sources at WWD. The outdoor brand’s store operations are owned by Catalyst Brands under license from brand owner Authentic Brands Group, which would indicate that the broader Catalyst Brands business would not be affected. The...

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Michael Fernandez to lead wholesale operations at Catalyst Brands

Catalyst Brands, the company formed by the combination of JCPenney and the former SPARC Group, has named Michael Fernandez as its new chief wholesale and business development officer. In this role, Fernandez will oversee all of the company's wholesale operations, both domestically and internationally, as well as business-to-business and...

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Business

JCPenney and Sparc Group merge portfolios to form Catalyst Brands

JCPenney and Sparc Group have merged to form a new organization, Catalyst Brands, creating a portfolio of six retail banners. The combined group was formed in an all-equity transaction between JCPenney and Sparc Group, with shareholders Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corporation, Authentic Brands Group and Shein. The company said in a release...