Can Lee Cooper be saved?

Lee Cooper France is filing for bankruptcy – a year after it’s parent company went bust in 2009. British parent company Lee Cooper International Was bought out from the Matalon group by Sun Capital Investors in 2005 and the company was thought to be on the verge of a comeback.

The Lee Cooper brand was founded in England in 1908 by Morris Cooper and bills itself as “The Fine English Denim Company Since 1908.” Over 100-years old, Lee Cooper, headquartered in London, has a worldwide presence with operations in over 70 countries.

But what went wrong for the denim brand? What led from sales 95 million in 2006 to 28 million in 2009?

Were they too focused on the French market?

60% of market share/revenues came from France and many of their marketing efforts and collaborations were franco-centric (sub-line collab with JC de Castelbajac & ad campaign with The French fashion darling Lou Doillon)

Was Lee Cooper putting all their eggs in one basket?

How could they compete on a more global scale with the big players such as Diesels, Levis, G-star, Guess , Gap etc?

They should have taken their marketing back to it’s roots, like Burberry. British made that’s spells international style and functionality.

What should have been their “positioning”?
Could lee Cooper have survived with a social media strategy?
So many questions and speculations.

Today on the company’s online shop many items are slashed with price discounts, and it seems like the file for bankruptcy means they have no money to make a collection for next season.

While Sun Capital are busily trying to find a buyer, in the meanwhile the license for the trademark is in Cyprus! Which only seems to complicate the sell.

More about sun capital
“Sun Capital Partners, Inc. is a leading private investment firm focused on leveraged buyouts and investments in market leading companies that can benefit from its in-house operating professionals and experience. Sun Capital affiliates invest in companies typically with the number one or two market positions in their industry, long-term competitive advantages and significant barriers to entry. Sun Capital affiliates have invested in more than 80 companies since their inception in 1995 with combined sales in excess of $20.0 billion. On a consolidated basis, Sun Capital’s portfolio companies would rank in the top 100 of Fortune Magazine’s listing of the 500 largest companies in the United States.”

Additional research taken from Le Figaro

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