Authentic Brands Group announced a long-term partnership with Beaumanoir Group, which will take over the former Boardriders business in France and license the Quiksilver, Roxy, Billabong, DC Shoes, Element, RVCA and VonZipper brands in key Western European regions, including France, Germany and the UK. Through the partnership, Beaumanoir, headquartered in France, will become the brands’ strategic operating and sourcing partner, handling design, manufacturing, wholesale, retail and e-commerce for key lifestyle categories including apparel, swim, travel, accessories and more for men, women and children.
Founded in 1981, the Beaumanoir Group is a major player in the fashion and lifestyle sector in France. Its business volume was €2.3 billion in 2023, and it employed over 15,000 people worldwide and operated more than 2,000 retail shops. The group has continued its growth with the successive acquisitions of the La Halle brand in 2020, Caroll in 2021 and the main French lifestyle marketplace Sarenza.com in 2022. In addition to its distribution business, the group has a logistics subsidiary, C-Log.
“We look forward to working together to leverage their retail expertise, explore new opportunities and grow the brands’ market presence across Western Europe, a region where the brands have a strong connection with consumers,” said Henry Stupp, Regional President EMEA & India at Authentic.
Authentic said in a press release that the partnership underlines its commitment to the brands’ future in key European markets, as Beaumanoir’s deep retail and product expertise will strengthen the brands’ extensive retail network. By combining Authentic’s strategic vision and proven platform with Beaumanoir’s operational strength and market expertise, the partnership opens up opportunities for sustainable brand growth and longevity in a key region.
“The acquisition by the Beaumanoir Group opens up new avenues for long-term investment for all the Boardriders brands in Europe,” said Nicolas Foulet, President of Boardriders EMEA. “Like the teams themselves, I am fully committed to and enthusiastic about this news, which promises to increase the presence of our brands in their market.”
“Nico Foulet and his legacy Boardriders team in Europe have a deep understanding of our customers and extensive wholesale relationships, combined with Beaumanoir’s expertise in sourcing, logistics, and retail, we are excited for the future and for the opportunities that the partnership will bring,” David Brooks, EVP of Action and Outdoor Sports at Authentic, commented on the deal. Brooks told ShopEat Surf in an interview that the global brand teams for the Boardriders brands will continue to be based in Europe.
