Authentic Brands Group names OSL to run North American Ted Baker business

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 8, 2023

Ted Baker’s new owner, Authentic Brands Group, is focusing heavily on the label’s expansion in the giant American market and has named OSL as its key partner to run Ted Baker retail, wholesale and e-commerce across North America.

Authentic completed the Ted Baker buy last October and said on Wednesday that the new OSL deal is a long-term one that will see the New York-based Ted Baker team joining OSL.

It added that OSL will “continue to drive the brand’s 80-plus retail stores and concessions, wholesale distribution and TedBaker.com website in the United States and Canada”.

But it stressed the importance of Ted Baker’s heritage as a very British brand and said that core categories, such as men’s and women’s sportswear and outerwear, men’s dress shirts, women’s dresses and fashion handbags, will be designed and supplied by Ted Baker’s London HQ.

Its Chief Transition Officer, John McNamara, who’s been leading the transition of Ted Baker into the parent company's platform, said: “A key component of our growth strategy was to secure a leading North American operator for Ted Baker and continue to preserve the brand’s UK-based design hub.

“This partnership checks an important box within Authentic’s global Ted Baker strategy of assembling a network of leading partners who are operational experts around the world. We are very pleased to partner with retail pioneer OSL on this strategy.”

OSL is a major North American customer acquisition platform “with proven capabilities in retail operations, specialised distribution and digital marketing”.

Ands its CEO Brett Farren also emphasised the desire to keep the label close to its roots as a key part of its appeal. “Ted Baker is a uniquely British brand with a rich heritage,” he said, “and we look forward to continuing to elevate the brand’s position in the US and Canada, enhancing its relationship with its existing consumer base and growing its fan base across North America.”