Who Will Buy Jimmy Choo? The Luxury Shoe Bag Label Is Up For Grabs

“I’ve lost my Choo!” Carrie Bradshaw shrieks in an episode of Sex and the City when the fictional sex columnist with a penchant for luxury heels, loses her Jimmy Choo while running to catch a ferry. Oh, how prophetic a statement, as it was announced on April 24 that parent company, JAB Holding is putting Jimmy Choo on the market, according to a report published in The New York Times.

In the aforementioned report, it’s noted that JAB acquired Jimmy Choo in 2011 for $800 million or £500 million. Since then, JAB Holdings has moved from snatching up luxury brands to coffee (Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Caribou Coffee and Keurig Green Mountain) and sandwiches (earlier this month JAB Holdings bought the chain Panera). JAB, which has its headquarters in Luxembourg, is focussed on its holdings in the beauty empire Coty as well caffeinated beverages and snacks.

What bearing does this news have on the luxury goods market? Especially high-end high heels?

Lovers of luxe shoes need not despair. According to another article in The New York Times, department stores acquire thousands of square feet of space devoted entirely to footwear, suggesting that luxury shoes are the accessory of choice, even surpassing handbags, for those who love to spend money on extravagant statement pieces. (If you are wondering, Dubai has the largest emporium of luxury shoes in the world, with over 96,000 square-feet devoted to luxe shoes at the Level Shoe District Mall.)

Back to Jimmy Choo, its shares have hit a record high since the JAB announcement, with the business valued at $921 million or £720 million, according to Reuters. In other words, that’s lot of Choos. So, who will acquire the luxury label? “What remains to be seen is whether growing interest from Asia and the Middle East for luxury UK brands, will see Jimmy Choo receiving offers from foreign buyers searching for well-known British brands,” Jonathan Buxton, partner and head of consumer at Cavendish Corporate Finance says in the aforementioned Reuters article.

While lovers of the label are waiting to see who will take over Jimmy Choo, here are a couple choice styles that celebrate Jimmy Choo’s indelible mark on the luxury goods market:
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Apr 16, 2017 at 4:00am PDT
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Apr 5, 2017 at 9:02am PDT
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Apr 3, 2017 at 9:00am PDT
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Apr 4, 2017 at 9:02am PDT
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Mar 21, 2017 at 9:57am PDT
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Feb 23, 2017 at 9:00am PST
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Feb 19, 2017 at 4:00am PST
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Feb 11, 2017 at 3:44am PST
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Dec 21, 2016 at 11:15am PST
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Dec 22, 2016 at 9:07am PST
A post shared by Jimmy Choo (@jimmychoo) on Nov 15, 2016 at 9:00am PST

About the author

Jill Di Donato

Fashion Editor

Jill is a New York native who holds a BA in Literature from Barnard College, and an MFA in writing from Columbia University. She is the author of the novel Beautiful Garbage (She Writes Press, 2013) about the downtown Manhattan art and fashion scene in the 1980s. A former staff writer for The Huffington Post and Bustle, Jill comes to Culture Trip after working with Refinery 29, Vice, Salon, Paste Style, Los Angeles Times, Nylon, Shopify, Autre, and producing content for emerging fashion labels. She teaches classes about fashion and culture at Barnard College and The Fashion Institute of Technology. Her prized possessions are her Gucci fanny pack, vintage rocker t-shirts, and her grandmother's collection of costume jewelry. She's always on the lookout for a gem-encrusted turban.