It’s a new beginning for Chooze.
The Dallas-based kids’ brand has been acquired by Synclaire Brands for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 2011 by entrepreneur and mother-of-three Sharon Blumberg, Chooze has become well-known for its quirky mismatched concept, which started with shoes and has since expanded to products such as apparel and accessories.
“We’ve been running Chooze with a very small team for years, and we reached a point where we realized that we need more to take the business to the next level. This partnership with Synclaire is a great fit. They have the experience, production capabilities and back-end infrastructure to support our growth,” said Blumberg, who will continue in her role as creative director, leading the brand’s vision and design. “I’m excited about the new opportunities we can create together.”
Evan Cagner, president and CEO of New York-based Synclaire, said his company was attracted to Chooze’s unique point of view in the marketplace, as well as its positioning as a multicategory lifestyle brand. “Chooze’s product design and concepts are exactly what kids today are looking for,” he added. “[The brand’s mismatched prints] give kids a voice and a way to express themselves.”
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Cagner also noted that Synclaire is not looking to make sweeping changes to Chooze’s identity but rather use its long-standing industry expertise and vast operational resources to help the brand reach its full potential. “We believe Chooze has the capability to grow just the way it is,” he explained. “The Synclaire team will help focus the brand’s efforts on what is working and do more of that, while moving away from aspects of the business that are not resonating with consumers.”
The sibling company of private-label giant BCNY International (which has been in the children’s shoe business since 1991), Synclaire is a market powerhouse, overseeing an ever-growing stable of prestigious licensed kids’ brands including Michael Kors, Sam Edelman, Frye, Badgley Mischka, Katy Perry and Tretorn. “We have a global reach at the wholesale level and enterprise-level sourcing and logistics capabilities. This will allow the Chooze team to focus on product and sales, leaving the rest of the ‘blocking and tackling’ to Synclaire,” Cagner said. “In addition, our sister company, Kidsshoes.com, has extensive knowledge in the direct-to-consumer space, which should help catapult Chooze’s [online] sales.”
As Chooze prepares to unveil its spring ’19 collection, Blumberg said she loves that the Synclaire partnership allows her greater freedom to explore new concepts and ideas for the brand. “Now that I’m freed up from all of the business operations, I can tap into my creativity. My goal is to always stay ahead of the trends and offer kids something unique and different.”
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