Aéropostale. Brooks Brothers. Eddie Bauer. Lucky Brand. Nautica. The Original Arizona Jean Company. Worthington. Liz Claiborne. St. John’s Bay. Some of the most commonly known off-the-rack brands, those previously a part of JCPenney or SPARC Group, have combined to form Catalyst Brands.
“Catalyst Brands brings together the rich heritage of six unique brands with modern energy and a new vision for success. The word ‘catalyst’ reflects our drive to accelerate innovation and energy and amplify the impact of this powerhouse portfolio. Together, we bring scale, expertise and broad appeal to customers across America,” Catalyst CEO and JCPenney CEO Marc Rosen said. “For us, customers are at the heart of what we do. We have a shared belief that customers deserve fashion and style of great quality for any and every moment in life. We will leverage our resources and best-in-class industry talent to grow our brands further.”
SPARC Group was headquartered in New York City with offices in Los Angeles. And while it has not been publicly announced whether the merger will result in staff changes, lay-offs or the relocation of SPARC employees. However, the newly-created Catalyst website indicates the leadership staff post-merger shows a nearly-even split in executives from each company, with JCPenney CEO Marc Rosen heading the new company.
According to a press release, Catalyst Brands has also sold the U.S. operations of Reebok and is “exploring strategic options for the operations of Forever 21.” Both brands were previously operated by the companies for shareholders, which include Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corporation, Authentic Brands Group and Shein.
Catalyst Brands is located at the JCPenney corporate office in Plano, with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.
