The Baukjen Group crowdfund for US expansion

British retailer The Baukjen Group, which owns contemporary womenswear brand Baukjen and premium maternity label Isabella Oliver, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the retailer’s expansion into America.

The group is looking to raise 400,000 pounds by the end of December via a Crowdcube campaign in return for 3.02 percent equity, so it can expand in America and develop a physical presence via concessions and pop-ups.

Within the last two years, net sales for the British group have grown on average 26 percent, while annual sales to April 2018 were 18 million pounds, with a net revenue of 10.7 million pounds, and EDITDA of 471,000 pounds.

Baukjen de Swaan Arons, founder and creative director, said in a statement: “We are a brand that puts our customer at the heart of everything we do, so crowdfunding seemed like the right fit for our business. We’re excited to be democratising this round of investment and opening the opportunity up to our customers, and everyone who believes in our vision, to own shares in our business”.

The Baukjen Group launches crowdfunding campaign to raise 400,000 pounds

On its crowdfunding pitch, the retail group states that it is raising investment to achieve two key things, to “replicate with Baukjen” the success it has already had with its maternity label Isabella Oliver in the US, where the US accounts for 50 percent of its sales, with Nordstrom being one of its key stockists.

The other goal is to roll out the Baukjen brand into physical retail through pop-ups and concessions.

With all capital raised helping the British group to “unlock new ambitions for the company as it embarks on a period of rapid growth”.

Founded by husband and wife team Geoff van Sonsbeeck and Baukjen de Swaan Arons in 2003, the company is already a firm favourite with fashion’s A-list including Sarah Jessica Parker, Alexa Chung, Beyoncé and Angelina Jolie.

Isabella Oliver was launched to fill a gap in the maternity market and has become one of the world’s leading maternity brands, dressing over 1 million women, while Baukjen, which launched in 2012, was created to offer high quality wardrobe essentials.

The Baukjen Group is not about fast fashion instead they offer high quality clothing that has longevity. Its ethos is that “miles per garment matter”, which is why more than 90 percent of their collections are manufactured in Europe and each order is wrapped and shipped from its UK warehouse.

The company has a team of 48 and sells to 172 countries, and is stocked in John Lewis, Next Label, and Nordstrom in the US.

As of December 3, The Baukjen Group’s crowdfunding campaign had raised over 50 percent of its target with 201,720 pounds from 102 investors. It has 23 days left to hit its 400,000 pounds target.

Image: courtesy of Baukjen of Baukjen and Geoff, founders of the Baukjen Group