Jan. 07, 2026Marubeni Corporation
Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) has acquired Jacobson Group Limited (hereinafter, “Jacobson”), a UK-based footwear brand owner with a portfolio of multiple brands, as part of its initiative to build a lifestyle brand business platform anchored by R.G. Barry Corporation (hereinafter, “RGB”), a lifestyle brand management company (hereinafter, the “Acquisition”).
Jacobson owns and operates several footwear brands, including its flagship brand Gola, a heritage British sneaker brand founded in 1905, and distributes its products in more than 30 countries primarily across the UK, North America, and Europe. Gola is characterized by designs that blend classic British heritage silhouettes with contemporary fashion sensibilities and is supported by a strong brand legacy with roots in sports such as football, where it has earned long-standing recognition among athletes. Leveraging the brand equity built over more than 120 years and its accumulated expertise in footwear brand planning and development, Jacobson is accelerating its global expansion.
Marubeni Consumer Platform U.S. (hereinafter, “MCPU”), one of the dedicated investment platforms under Marubeni’s Next Generation Corporate Development Division, aims to build a scalable lifestyle brand business platform. In 2024, MCPU entered the lifestyle brand management business through the acquisition of RGB, which owns brands such as Dearfoams, the market leader in the U.S. in room shoes and slippers. The Acquisition represents the first roll-up* transaction executed by RGB. By combining RGB’s robust sales infrastructure and corporate functions with Jacobson’s brand portfolio, Marubeni seeks to simultaneously accelerate Jacobson’s growth and expand the lifestyle brand business platform with RGB as its core.
Under its Mid-Term Management Strategy GC2027, Marubeni is focusing on Strategic Platform Businesses (businesses with “Growth Domains x High Added Value x Scalability”). The Next Generation Corporate Development Division aims to capture growth in high-potential consumer-related businesses through investments and M&A, with the aim of building businesses that will become new pillars of Marubeni in 2030. In the lifestyle brand management business, Marubeni will continue to expand its brand portfolio and earnings base through the roll-up of synergistic growth brands, while scaling its lifestyle brand business platform. By developing brands that closely align with increasingly diverse consumer preferences, Marubeni is committed to enhancing its long-term corporate value.
*An investment strategy that seeks to expand business scale and realize synergies through the phased acquisition and integration of multiple companies.
Related News Release・Jun. 10, 2024Marubeni Enters the Lifestyle Brand Management Business in the U.S.https://www.marubeni.com/en/news/2024/release/00035.html
