Jones Bootmaker is for sale, administration could beckon if no buyer found

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 28, 2017

In a year that is seeing a number of UK brands potentially changing hands, the latest is Jones Bootmaker, which has been put up for sale by owner Alteri Investors.

And like high-end lingerie firm Agent Provocateur, it seems the alternative to a sale could be administration for the 160-year-old company.

Alteri, which is a turnaround specialist, does not appear to have worked its magic on Jones and has appointed KPMG to oversee options for the business, according to reports.

The Hinckley, Leicestershire-based firm has around 170 stores and employs several thousand people. Alteri has invested in it since its acquisition but much of the focus has been online with a website revamp and the launch of click & collect.

Jones has only been owned by Alteri since autumn 2015 when it was acquired from failed Dutch company Macintosh for €17m along with footwear chain Brantano UK. It also saw a management shake-up recently as the CEO of both chains, David Short, stepped down with David Riddiford becoming executive chairman in September 2016.