Scotch and Soda is a Dutch fashion retail company founded in 1985 by Laurent Hompes. On May 11, 2023, brand management firm Bluestar Alliance completed the acquisition of the company.
History
Origins
Founded as a menswear label in the 1980s, Scotch & Soda was an international brand when it was sold in 2011 to Kellwood and Sun Capital. The company was sold in over 7,000 shops worldwide, but there were also 30 company-owned and franchised retail stores.
Worldwide expansion of Scotch & Soda stores
In January 2020, four months after Frederick Lukoff was named CEO, the company launched sunglasses and eye glasses ranges for men and women. Until then sold in 8,000 stores and 250 branded stores, it announced the launch of its third perfume, Island Water, in May of the same year.
On March 16, 2021, Scotch & Soda announced the acceleration of its global expansion, with the opening of 15 brick-and-mortar stores and 12 shop-in-shops over the next six months. In addition, the company announced the launch of its new brand identity, Free Spirit.
In shops, its new brand identity was translated into the colors white, charcoal and tan with some yellow, pink, and burgundy accents. In turn, it has also been translated into the use of the following materials: aged brass, textured tiles, marble, and powder-coated steel. Aspects like LED lights and FSC wood herringbone flooring expressed commitment to sustainability.
After opening 16 new stores between October 2021 and April 2022, the company planned at the time to open 20 more stores in the next six months - including flagship stores in London and Milan. Seven other shops were planned in major cities outside Europe.
In June 2022, Scotch & Soda opened its flagship store on the Via Alessandro Manzoni in Milan. At the time, the company planned to open another nine stores in shops in the high end retail chain La Rinascente.
Bankruptcy
A week before the Bluestar Alliance agreed to acquire it for an undisclosed sum, Scotch & Soda filed for bankruptcy on March 20, 2023. Owner of Bebe Stores, Hurley International, Justice and Brookstone, the brand management firm completed the purchase of the Dutch company in May of the same year.