It wasn’t long ago that longtime Canadian shopping mall staple Danier Leather announced that it was going out of business.
And – after no shortage of sales on its leather jackets and accessories – the company quietly and classily closed the doors on its 84 stores in March.
As Metro News reports, when Danier filed for creditor protection earlier this year, the company blamed the slumping sales on the down-filled outerwear trend that was only heightened by brutally cold and long winters in 2014 and 2015.
This resulted in an excess of lightweight jackets.
Image: Financial Post
Despite going bankrupt and having to liquidate merchandise, Danier managed to take the high road and pay invoices owed to manufacturers and staff – including vacation pay and severance for the latter (a stark difference to the case of Herbal Magic last summer).
And the good karma is paying off.
Danier Leather was bought out this summer, with a deal closing in July that began the refuel of the brand.
“A lot of people wanted to see it succeed again,” said Olga Koel, a former Danier Leather executive who was hired back as managing director when the company was bought out, according to Metro News. She said that manufacturers who used to provide stock for Danier’s stores were willing to fulfill orders way below minimums.
She said she was also able to draw on the help of former staff for help, including menswear and womenswear designers Peter DeFreitas and Zophia Urbanowicz.
So, what’s different?
Well, the “Leather” has been dropped from the Danier name.
The company has also added some new products like wool outerwear, sweaters and footwear.
They have also scaled down the range of their traditional leather offerings, offering a smaller selection of jackets.
The first store opened at the end of September at the Oshawa Centre.
[ninja_form id=104]
[ad_bb1]