Brampton-based WCF has acquired Bella di Notte, a long-established mail-order & online retailer of quality clothing for mature women.
WCF already successfully operates brands, including James Meade, Country Collection & The Classic Boutique and sees strong synergy with Bella di Notte and its customers.
The terms of the acquisition will see Bella di Notte, which employs c.40 people, continue to operate from its Malton, North Yorkshire base with founder Susan Johnson and her husband Chris continuing with the business in a consultancy capacity to support the incumbent team.
Susan Johnson commented: “The decision to sell Bella di Notte was taken as part of our succession planning strategy which will allow our positive sales growth to continue. Being part of a larger company will provide access to additional expertise, resource capacity and financial investment, while protecting the team’s job security, allowing them to share in its continued success and giving them more opportunity to make decisions as part of a larger team.”
Jo Ritzema, WCF managing director, said: “Bella di Notte’s focus on product excellence and superior customer service meant it was an ideal fit to complement our existing home shopping clothing brands, with all brands sharing a similar customer demographic. Both companies share a great ethos of investing and supporting their teams to drive innovation and productivity, and we’re working closely with the Bella di Notte team to ensure a smooth transition.
“We plan to build on the success of Bella di Notte by continuing to deliver the fantastic range of clothing and lingerie which have made it so popular with existing customers, implementing new marketing strategies to find more customers, while also working towards enhancing the range with designs which appeal to an ever younger-minded customer.”
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