NEW YORK and LINGEN, Germany, Aug. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Sycamore Partners today announced that it has acquired E.M.P. Merchandising Handelsgesellschaft mbH (“EMP” or the “Company”), a Germany-based multi-channel retailer of rock music- and entertainment-inspired apparel and accessories.

“We are delighted to enter into this partnership with Sycamore Partners,” said Ernst Trapp, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. “Sycamore has extensive multi-channel retailing experience and knowledge of the music- and entertainment-inspired apparel and accessories world. We believe this makes them an ideal partner as we look to grow our business, while continuing to operate as we always have – with a deep appreciation for our employees, customers and business partners.”

EMP will join Sycamore’s portfolio of retail investments as an independent business managed by Ernst Trapp as CEO and Dr. Jan Fischer as Chief Financial Officer. Sycamore’s portfolio also includes Hot Topic, a leading mall- and web-based specialty retailer that is a key retail partner to the music and entertainment industries. Hot Topic operates more than 650 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

“We are pleased to partner with EMP, Europe’s leading multi-channel retailer of music- and entertainment-inspired apparel and accessories, and look forward to forging closer relationships with our music and entertainment industry partners on a global basis,” said Peter Morrow, a Managing Director of Sycamore Partners. “EMP has developed a loyal base of customers over many years. We are excited to build on this legacy and work with the EMP team to continue to grow the business.”

About E.M.P. Merchandising Handelsgesellschaft mbH
EMP is a Lingen, Germany-based multi-channel retailer that has been selling rock music-inspired merchandise since 1986. EMP is a pan-European operation with a presence in seventeen countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the Nordic region. In addition to a prominent webshop, EMP operates four retail stores in Germany and Austria.

About Sycamore Partners
Sycamore Partners is a private equity firm based in New York specializing in consumer and retail investments. The firm has more than $3.5 billion in capital under management. The firm’s strategy is to partner with management teams to improve the operating profitability and strategic value of their businesses. The firm’s investment portfolio currently includes Aeropostale, Coldwater Creek, Hot Topic, the Kasper Group, Kurt Geiger, MGF Sourcing, Nine West Holdings, Pathlight Capital, Talbots and Torrid.

Contact:

For Sycamore Partners:
Michael Freitag or Arielle Rothstein
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
+1 (212) 355-4449

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SOURCE Sycamore Partners