Unified Commerce Group (UCG) is expanding its portfolio with the acquisition of substantially all assets of GREATS Inc., a digitally-native footwear brand specializing in premium sneakers for men and women, as well as a strategic investment in Utah-based womenswear retailer Böhme.
Unified Commerce Group was founded in 2019 as a platform to enable purpose-driven lifestyle brands to scale through shared services, anchored by data-driven customer insights and operational excellence. GREATS becomes the third brand in UCG’s portfolio, in addition to Canadian fashion brand Frank And Oak, and LA-based athleisure brand Spiritual Gangster.
GREATS Inc. was previously owned by Steven Madden, Ltd., the globally renowned leading designer and marketer of fashion-forward footwear, accessories and apparel. Unified Commerce Group will assume operational responsibility and, as part of the deal, Steven Madden, Ltd., through one of its subsidiaries, will become a shareholder of UCG.
“GREATS pioneered the direct-to-consumer model in footwear, and continues to delight its customers with high-quality, beautiful fashion sneakers” said Dustin Jones, CEO and Founder of Unified Commerce Group, “We have admired the brand for a long time, and the clear synergies with our existing apparel brands, along with its valuable customer base presents an excellent opportunity to leverage our operational expertise to drive further scale.”
Edward Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO of Steven Madden, Ltd., said: “We have known Dustin and his team for a number of years, and are very confident that GREATS will find a strong strategic fit with the fast-growing portfolio of brands at UCG.”
With the recent acquisition of GREATS and investment in Böhme, the UCG shared services platform- UCG Hub- is now providing operational support, leadership and strategy to four brands, which each have growing direct-to-consumer eCommerce businesses, and a combined footprint of 30+ retail stores and 200+ wholesale partners.
