Sergio Tacchini has signed a new exclusive license for the U.K. and Ireland with the Batra Group, which has been its supplier for a Heritage line since the beginning of 2016. The new license covers apparel and accessories in this segment as well as sports and leisure products under the well-known Italian brand.
Tacchini previously had an exclusive contract with the Focus Group for the distribution of its products in the U.K. In 2007, when JD Sports Fashion acquired a 49 percent stake in Focus, it also took a sub-license for the Tacchini brand through 2019, paying advance royalties of £4.3 million (€4.98m-$5.36m) for the period. JD sold the brand in its stores as one of its private labels.
The contract with Batra is meant to broaden the distribution of the Tacchini lines beyond the JD group. A statement says it grants “limited exclusive rights” to manufacture and distribute the products to “key retail groups” in the U.K. and Ireland, including JD. In response to a question, the management of Wintex Italia, which manages the Tacchini brand, says their sale in Sports Direct stores has yet to be decided.
With headquarters in London and Mumbai, the Indian-owned Batra Group was until 2011 the master licensee in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for another major Italian sports brand, Fila. It still has a deal for Fila in the U.K. together with JD. Batra made headlines recently with its licensing deal for Hi-Tec shoes, apparel and accessories in the U.K. and several other European countries (SGI Europe, Vol. 27, N° 40-41 of Dec. 26, 2016).
A change of licensees is expected for Tacchini in March in France and Belgium, where the rights are held by Sport Finance.
Founded by the eponymous Italian tennis player in 1966 and taken over by Chinese interests in 2008, Sergio Tacchini has been working in Europe exclusively in a licensing mode recently. Working through its international licensing agent, IMG, the brand signed recently a new licensing agreement with the Sun Fashion Group for a new line of technical and lifestyle clothing for toddlers and children between the ages of 0 and 14 years. It will first come out through local distributors in 11 European countries for the spring/summer 2018 season. Sun Fashion is a 25-year-old French company that also has deals with Disney and Paul & Joe.
