Three months after Beverly, MA-based women’s apparel cataloger/retailer Appleseed’s acquired the brand name and customer file of The Tog Shop, the remaining assets of the former Tog Shop business were sold. The assets — $15 million swimsuit title A.B. Lambdin and its Americus, GA-based distribution center — were bought by ABL Holdings Corp., an entity formed specifically for the deal, in November. ABL’s principles, Houshang and Monir Jalili, are the founders of Irvine, CA-based women’s apparel catalog Carabella.
The heirs of Tog Shop founder Emory Rylander had put the family business up for sale this past May. New York-based West Cos. and James Adams Inc. represented the selling shareholders.
The buyers were most interested in the 185,000-sq.-ft. distribution center and call center, according to a source familiar with the deal who wished to remain anonymous. The source says that the Carabella catalog will now be fulfilled from Americus distribution center.
While Carabella skews younger in age (30) than A.B. Lambdin (30-55), their combined offering can now follow women through middle age. According to NextMark, A.B. Lambdin has 63,635 12-month buyers and a $130 average order. Carabella has 33,736 7- to 12-month buyers with a $116 average order.