Months after entering voluntary administration, swimwear brand Tigerlily is set to join forces with iconic bag brand Crumpler, who have offered them a lifeline.
Crumpler CEO Adam Wilkinson will now be leading both Crumpler and Tigerlily in a dual-role. The two companies, who will still remain separate entities, will share IT systems, warehousing and head office space in Melbourne.
“Crumpler and Tigerlily remain separate businesses with independent identity and aesthetic as well as individual design marketing and customer support teams,” Wilkinson said in a statement. “This shared approach will allow both brands to streamline costs and create more robust financial efficiencies particularly in light of the unfolding Covid-19 impact on the retail sector.”
Earlier this year, just months after celebrating its 20th anniversary with a rebrand, Tigerlily went into voluntary administration. “Tigerlily was impacted negatively by the downturn in the retail sector but more particularly, coronavirus,” Korda Mentha Partner Scott Langdon told Inside Retail. “There was limited foot traffic through shopping centres and therefore sales. Without a doubt, the sales data is overwhelming that it’s definitely significantly slowed since coronavirus has come through. It’s incredibly telling.” Crumpler is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year after two years ago beginning work to revitalise its brand and entering the South East Asian market.
