Catalyst Brands news and archive

Brooks Brothers' Ken Ohashi breaks down the decisions behind a 1 billion dollar comeback

When Ken Ohashi took over Brooks Brothers, the label was fresh out of Chapter 11, still typecast as a suit-and-tie business, and losing money. Five years later it turns over more than 1 billion dollars across 600-plus doors, sportswear makes up close to a third of sales, and nine new stores are opening in 2026. "We're not trying to invent a new...

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Business|CEO Interview

Natalie Levy: How the CEO rebuilt Aéropostale and Lucky Brand

Natalie Levy arrived at Aéropostale in 2017 as president and chief merchandise officer, just two months after the company had been removed from a 243.3 million dollar bankruptcy sale. She was the first executive hire brought in to rebuild the brand, which was known at the time for selling mainly logo T-shirts and fleece for young consumers. She...

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JCPenney and Sparc Group merge portfolios to form Catalyst Brands

JCPenney and Sparc Group have merged to form a new organization, Catalyst Brands, creating a portfolio of six retail banners. The combined group was formed in an all-equity transaction between JCPenney and Sparc Group, with shareholders Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corporation, Authentic Brands Group and Shein. The company said in a release...