In its quest to become the one-stop destination for consumers age 55+, Orchard Brands on Sept. 14 acquired gifts book Gold Violin and undergarments title WinterSilks. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
The $1.1 billion-plus catalog empire (formerly Appleseed’s TopCo) is owned by San Francisco-based private equity player Golden Gate Capital. Beverly, MA-based Orchard Brands includes the Appleseed’s, Blair Corp., Draper’s & Damon’s, Haband, Norm Thompson Outfitters, Sahalie, Solutions, and The Tog Shop catalogs.
Gold Violin, founded in 1999, sells “independent living” gadgets and gifts for seniors. Orchard Brands hopes that the Gold Violin acquisition will compliment its hard goods offerings found in the Solutions, Haband, and Blair home catalogs.
Founded in 1981, WinterSilks sells silk long johns, as well as lingerie, travel apparel, and outerwear. WinterSilks had been part of swimwear merchant Venus, which is also owned by Golden Gate Capital but operates independently.
WinterSilks will continue to operate in Madison, WI. Gold Violin will retain its office in Charlottesville, VA, but the catalog’s fulfillment will move to Blair’s distribution center outside of Warren, PA.