Ted Baker’s wholesale business is being acquired by Pace Partnership London (PPL). New Lobster, the company that manages Ted Baker’s design, development and product innovation, has signed a five-year agreement with PPL to manage its wholesale business in the UK and Europe, a press release said. New Lobster will continue to be responsible for design, development and product innovation.

PDS Group acquired Ted Baker’s rights in the UK and Europe, after which New Lobster was formed to manage Ted Baker’s design, development and product innovation. This has seen ‘a number of old Ted Baker team members return’. New Lobster has chosen to outsource its wholesale business for the UK and Europe to PPL.

“We are delighted to be working with the team at New Lobster,” said Ryan Llewellyn-Pace, Founder and CEO of PPL. “Together we have a very talented and strong team to bring Ted Baker back and make it the leading British lifestyle brand.”

Steve Goodwin, Managing Director of New Lobster, added: “Despite the challenges this year, the design and product team have done a fantastic job in improving the styling, manufacturing and silhouette of the product. This partnership will bring the same level of professionalism and standards to our customer service and account management. Together we are confident that we can grow this much-loved brand.”

Ted Baker relaunches wholesale in UK and Europe

The wholesale relaunch comes a few months after Ted Baker announced it would be moving exclusively online in the UK and Europe. United Legwear and Apparel (ULAC) was appointed to “restore Ted Baker’s digital destiny”.

Ted Baker has been in dire straits, with store closures across the UK resulting in the loss of over 500 jobs. This followed previous closures that cost 200 jobs and a failed takeover attempt by Frasers Group. The bankruptcy of UK partner No Ordinary Designer Label (NODL) also contributed to the brand’s problems. Earlier, Ted Baker’s Dutch branch went bankrupt and failed to make a fresh start.

To improve the situation, an online relaunch in the UK and Europe was chosen. New Lobster is now expanding its activities in these markets by also restarting wholesale. As part of this, Ted Baker is setting up a new showroom in Shoreditch (London, UK).