Next confirms takeover of Fatface in £115m deal

British retail giant Next has announced it will buy clothing brand Fatface for £115m.

The company said that Fatface will continue to be run by its own management and keep its "creative independence".

Fatface has 180 shops and will retain its base in Hampshire.

It marks the latest High Street buy for Next, which has snapped up Cath Kidston and Joules in the last year.

In 2022, it also bought furniture brand Made.com, and a minority stake in baby goods store chain JoJo Maman Bébé.

Fatface was taken over by a consortium of lenders in 2020 when shops were struggling during the Covid pandemic and Next has sold its clothes online since 2016.