Perry Ellis Buys Anchor Blue Brands
In a March 3 auction held in New York, Perry Ellis International in Miami made a successful $500,000 bid for the Anchor Blue and Miller’s Outpost brands and intellectual-property rights, sources in the bidding process said.
Anchor Blue, which was a teen retail chain based in Corona, Calif., closed its offices in early January and later shuttered its 117 stores in nine states. It liquidated all its inventory and filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware on Jan. 11.
Streambank of Needham, Mass., was an adviser in the auction, which involved the Anchor Blue and Miller’s Outpost trademarks and intellectual-property holdings. The auction also included Anchor Blue’s private-label fragrance brands, social-media sites and databases.
Jack Hazan with Streambank said the acquisition bid must be approved by the bankruptcy court in Delaware.
Perry Ellis has a diverse portfolio of brands that include Jantzen, C&C California, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Munsing-wear, Savane, Jag and Cubavera.
Anchor Blue was founded in 1947 as Miller’s Surplus, later changing its name in 1972 to Miller’s Outpost. At one time, Miller’s Outpost had more than 300 stores nationwide. Anchor Blue began as an in-store brand name in 1981 and later replaced the Miller’s Outpost nameplate.
Sun Capital Partners in Boca Raton, Fla., bought Anchor Blue out of bankruptcy in 2009.—Deborah Belgum
