Kiltane buys Ness Clothing out of administration

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Mar 24, 2017

A part of Scottish clothing retailer Ness has been brought out of administration following the acquisition of a number of stores, as well as the wholesale and e-commerce division from property and retail firm Kiltane.

Ness Clothing fell into administration in December despite comparable sales growing by 12% in the last year due to “working capital difficulties”.

Prior to entering the process, the independent women’s fashion and accessories brand had 10 stores in Scotland, 5 in England and four concessions, and employed over 100 people.

The deal with Edinburgh-based Kiltane includes two stores in Edinburgh, one in York and another in Keswick, and will strengthen Kiltane’s position as a specialist in cashmere, woollens and tweeds. The company’s retail division trades under brands including House of Edinburgh, Highland House and Harris Tweed Hebrides.

“This is an exciting development for Kiltane. The addition of Ness to our existing stores builds considerably on our business infrastructure and capabilities, both in retail outlets in prime locations and online,” said managing director Mark Keane.

“It also safeguards the jobs and skill sets of a very experienced and talented retail team while consolidating our position for future growth. We’re very confident that the deal will deliver major value to the group in the years ahead because the Ness brand offers a strong fit for us and complements the existing brands and concessions that we work with,” he said.

Ness administrators BDO closed seven Ness stores, including shops in Dundee, Glasgow, the Livingston Designer Outlet, Aberdeen, Cambridge, Bath and Ilkley, by the end of January.