British clothing chain Fat Face to abort listing plans -Sky News
(Reuters) - British clothing chain Fat Face is expected to abort its planned listing following disappointing stock market debuts by rivals, Sky News reported late Wednesday.
The company, owned by European private equity group Bridgepoint [BRDG.UL], decided on Wednesday evening to call off its initial public offering which was due to raise 110 million pounds, Sky said.
Sky said an announcement could be made as soon as Thursday. (http://link.reuters.com/tuh59v) Fat Face representatives could not be reached outside of normal business hours for comment.
According to Sky, advisers to FatFace are said to have told board members that there was insufficient demand at the level at which it wanted to sell shares to new investors.
City insiders told Sky that the decision was less a reflection of Fat Face's appeal to prospective shareholders and more about a broader change in confidence among City institutions.
Fat Face, whose two founders began by selling T-shirts from a VW camper van in the French Alps, has more than 200 stores in Britain and Ireland.
The company, known for its outdoors activewear, abandoned attempts to target younger shoppers and returned to its middle-aged core market, guided by former Marks and Spencer head Stuart Rose, who joined as chairman in 2013.
(Reporting by Aashika Jain in Bangalore; Editing by Grant McCool)
