Luxembourg/Munich, August 1, 2022 – AURELIUS announces the acquisition of Footasylum, one of the leading retailers of fashion streetwear and sportswear in the UK, from JD Sports Fashion Plc (JD Sports), in a transaction with an enterprise value of approximately EUR 45m (£ 37,5m). In FY22A, the business is expected to generate total revenues of more than EUR 340m (£ 287m) with an attractive EBITDA margin. Footasylum has been owned by JD Sports since 2019.

The transaction will be completed by AURELIUS European Opportunities IV, controlling a 70 % stake and its Co-Investor AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8), controlling the remaining 30 %. The transaction is expected to be completed in August 2022.

Footasylum is an omni-channel retailer of fashion streetwear and sportswear with 63 stores in the UK, with a ‘hyper-local’ approach – seeking to serve the local community. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Rochdale, UK. Footasylum comprises seven websites (group and own brand sites) and warehouse facilities. Today, the business sells a mix of footwear, apparel and accessories through stores, websites, and a wholesale channel. Well known key third party brands include Nike, adidas, TheNorthFace and NB.

“Footasylum has long been a staple of the UK high street and go-to shop for customers seeking high-end branded sportswear. As a standalone business, Footasylum has the potential to become an innovative retailer of sportswear and we are eager to unlock the company’s full potential. We believe that AURELIUS is ideally placed to support Footasylum’s transformation, which will be backed by our extensive operational expertise within the retail, digital and wholesale channels”, states Dr. Dirk Markus, Founding Partner of AURELIUS.

“Footasylum is a strong and trusted brand in the UK and we are very excited to begin this journey with a highly successful company. Throughout the acquisition process, we have been impressed by Footasylum’s ‘hyper local’ approach which seeks to serve the local community. We look forward to working with the company to harness its online offering and emulate its high street success”, commented Tristan Nagler, Partner at AURELIUS.

AURELIUS will work with Footasylum’s management team to enhance digitalisation, while also continuing to build on its prominent high street presence. There will be additional opportunities for Footasylum to pursue through the further development of its own brand offerings, leveraging the company´s strong brand recognition. These initiatives are expected to improve profitability and make Footasylum the UK’s favourite destination for fashion streetwear and sportswear.

AURELIUS was advised on the transaction by Lincoln International (Corporate Finance & Debt Advisory), OC&C (Commercial), Baker & Mackenzie; DLA Piper (Legal), EY (Tax).