HUDSON GEARS UP FOR FURTHER SUCCESS
Acquisition of Trilogy Limited adds management expertise as well as five premium fashion brands to Hudson’s already impressive brand portfolio.
Trilogy Limited, a local company representing Calvin Klein, Armani Exchange, Mango, Tommy Hilfiger, and Tommy Jeans in Malta has become a fully owned subsidiary of Hudson Holdings Ltd.
The acquisition process saw Hudson acquire Trilogy Limited through a share-for-share exchange as the latter’s shareholders took up shares in Hudson Holdings Limited, the parent company of Hudson Group. Trilogy Limited will form part of the Hudson Malta plc Group which further strengthens the position of the bond holders of Hudson Malta plc.
Trilogy, a leading retailer in Malta in the premium fashion sector, was instrumental in providing access to premium fashion brands in a first-class retail experience in Malta. Its brands are also sold on trilogy.com.mt. Hudson is the leading fashion and sports retailer in Malta with brands such as NIKE, Ted Baker, River Island, New Look, Intersport, Urban Jungle, Alcott, Urban Bratz and Kiabi. Many of its brands are also sold through hudsonstore.com – Malta’s leading online store. Through this combination has further cemented Hudson’s position as Malta’s largest fashion and sports retailer.
Hudson is also a significant operator in the international field. In Africa, it has a significant client base, responsible for delivering branded sportswear products, including NIKE, to over 30 countries. Hudson also operates retail stores in Algeria, Morocco, and Nigeria through offices in these countries. Hudson will have new opportunities in these markets given the demand for the leading international brands represented by Trilogy and the significant brand management experience of Trilogy’s team.
In 2020, Hudson finalised a significant investment of €3.5M on a new distribution centre in Hal Far. The investment was financed in part by the bond proceeds issued by Hudson Malta plc in 2018. The distribution centre welcomes products from Asia and Europe, intended to be shipped to over 20 countries in Africa – acting as the optimal midpoint between international brands and in-country retailers. The purposely built centre which spans a total area of 5,000 sqm sets the company in a good position to welcome new brands and service more clients within Africa.
Hudson is also the owner of the Urban Jungle franchise which is present in Malta, Italy, Morocco, Algeria and online through www.urbanjunglestore.com and Blackbox, a more exclusive sneaker destination currently present solely in Italy and online www.blackboxstore.com. In 2021, it launched Urban Bratz intended towards a younger age group. The Group also expanded to a new country, Cyprus with the Kiabi franchise in late 2021.
This development will integrate Trilogy’s team into Hudson’s structure, strengthening the Group’s overall management and retail operations. These combined resources will offer an improved experience to Hudson’s loyal customer base whilst enabling it to garner a wider audience – presenting more fashion choices for kids, women, and men alike. It will also gear it to service the growing fashion demands in Africa.
Though Hudson Holdings was founded in 2006, the Group’s roots reach as far back as 1987 when the first pair of NIKE shoes was sold in Malta. When talking about this acquisition, Hudson’s Chairman Alfie Borg explained how “Trilogy and Hudson share common values, and this augurs well for the amalgamation of our resources, especially of our stores and human resources. Together we now manage over 56 stores, as well as a staff complement of 700. We are also delighted to expand our brand portfolio to include more premium fashion brands.“
Hudson welcomes Joseph Borg (Trilogy’s former Managing Director) as a member on the Hudson Holdings Board of Directors who has assumed the role of Fashion Brand Director. His business acumen coupled with his personal dedication and professionalism renders him a great asset to the Executive team. He has already proved crucial to the company’s business development by leading new brand openings in Malta and Africa.
Hudson Group CEO Chris Muscat welcomes the finalisation of the acquisition which strengthens the Group’s overall financial position and provides the right springboard for future growth. In 2022, the Group has plans to open 15 stores across 6 countries adding new brands and new countries as well as an exciting innovative concept store in Malta. Mr Muscat concludes by reiterating his gratitude to the company’s employees for their hard work and commitment throughout another difficult COVID year in 2021 and thanks them for defying odds that resulted in an overall result that was better than forecasted despite the hurdles being imposed by Covid.
For more information visit www.hudson.com.mt, or follow Hudson Holdings on LinkedIn.
