Rumours are circulating the footwear industry that Manchester-based Apparel Brands is among the bidders for the Russell & Bromley brand.
It joins the likes of NEXT and Auralis, which is led by Weird Fish CEO, David Butler, as reportedly competing to take over R&B.
Apparel Brands is the owner of fashion labels Bench, Nicce and Hype, as well as licensed products from Castore, Ed Hardy and Seafolly. The company has developed in recent years through expansion and acquisition. Last year it reported it grew sales from just over £36 million to £47 million to mid-2025.
Apparel Brands does not operate its own stores, prompting speculation about the future of Russell & Bromley’s physical estate if it were to succeed in a purchase.
Russell & Bromley was founded in 1880 with the opening of its first store in Eastbourne; it’s a family-owned business and is still headed up by fifth-generation Chief Executive, Andrew Bromley. The British footwear retailer operates 37 stores across the UK and employs more than 450 people. In recent years, it has been working to modernise its positioning and appeal to younger customers, appointing Daniel Beadsworth-Shaw as its first Creative Director.
Earlier this year, the brand appointed Interpath to advise on raising new capital as part of its five-year turnaround strategy; however, this didn’t prove overly successful and reports have emerged that the sale of the company is “the most likely route forward”.
According to some outlets, major retail chain NEXT is also exploring a potential acquisition as part of its strategy to expand its portfolio of heritage brands, and another bidder reportedly in the mix is Auralis. But with multiple parties now vying for the potential takeover, the next few months are expected to be pivotal for R&B, which has been a staple footwear brand on the British high street for hundreds of years.
