Deichmann, Germany’s largest shoe retailer, has acquired the brand rights for Europe and the United States from the collapsed clothing chain Esprit.
Previously, Deichmann collaborated with Esprit on shoe collections.
While Deichmann will focus on footwear, the rights for textile products have been transferred to Theia Brands, a brand management company.
Initially, British investment company Alteri Partners seemed poised to acquire Esprit, but that deal fell through.
Esprit faced financial difficulties, leading to the collapse of many of its divisions. This resulted in the closure of its Belgian stores earlier this year, causing dozens of employees to lose their jobs.
Deichmann is also active in Belgium. In 2020, through its Dutch subsidiary VanHaren, it acquired 40 stores from the bankrupt shoe retailer Brantano.
