Dress Barn completes merger with Tween Brands

US: Dress Barn completes merger with Tween Brands

By just-style.com | 25 November 2009

Career and casual fashion retailer The Dress Barn Inc has completed its merger with girls' fashion operator Tween Brands Inc, details of which were first unveiled back in June.

Under the stock-swap deal, thought to be worth around $157m, Tween Brands stockholders will receive 0.47 shares of Dress Barn for each share of Tween Brands.

As part of the transaction, Dress Barn is also paying off Tween Brands' outstanding bank debt.

Tween Brands - which targets 7 to 14-year-old girls through its Justice chain - will become a separate subsidiary of Dress Barn.

The combined company operates 2,492 locations with annual sales of around $2.5bn.

Michael Rayden, chief executive officer of Tween Brands, will continue to lead Justice, and will report directly to Dress Barn president and CEO David Jaffe.

Mr Rayden will also join the Dress Barn board of directors.

"I believe that our combined company will be formidable and have significant competitive advantages," Jaffe said.

Rayden added: "Our efforts can now be solely focused on our customers and we plan to utilise this exciting and powerful new platform to further our growth."

Tween Brands shares have been delisted from the NYSE and will cease trading at the close of business today (25 November).

Sectors: Apparel, Retail

Companies: Tween Brands, Dress Barn