Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation has acquired UK-based Jacobson Group Limited, which owns sneaker brand Gola. The aim of the acquisition is to build a business platform for lifestyle brands, said the new owner, who is also active in business areas such as food, agriculture, chemicals and energy. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
The acquisition will be carried out by the Marubeni Consumer Platform US (MCPU). The MCPU is a dedicated investment platform of Marubeni’s Next Generation Corporate Development Division. She entered lifestyle brand management in 2024 with the acquisition of RG Barry Corporation (RGB). RGB includes Dearfoams, the market leader for slippers in the USA. The acquisition was part of the company’s goal to enter the US consumer goods sector.
The Jacobson Group owns several shoe brands including Lotus, Ravel and Frank Wright. It also holds the licensing rights for Dunlop and Lonsdale. Their most important brand is the Gola label, founded in 1905. It is currently distributed in more than 30 countries, mainly in the UK, North America and Europe.
The Jacobson Group recently achieved a sales increase of 38 percent
Gola played a significant role in the Jacobson Group’s record growth in 2024. The Schuh Group reported a 38 percent increase in sales to 36.4 million British pounds (42.9 million euros) for the financial year ended December 28, 2024.
This growth was driven by e-commerce channels and strong results from retail and distribution partners in the UK, Europe and the US. Among other things, new partnerships were concluded with well-known retailers such as John Lewis, Next and Urban Outfitters. New editions of popular Gola archive models such as “Elan” and “Tornado” were also successful.
MCPU explained that the acquisition represents the first step in RGB’s investment strategy. The group will now combine RGB’s sales infrastructure and corporate functions with Jacobson’s brand portfolio. This is intended to accelerate growth and promote the development of a scalable multi-brand lifestyle platform.
Other RGB Group brands include bag brand Baggallini and shoe brand Planet A, which uses environmentally friendly, biodegradable plastics. The Columbus Product Group, which develops private label solutions, is also one of them. The group also acquired the assets of Green Market Services Co. Inc. (GMS). These include the licensed slipper collections from Clarks and Timberland, which were acquired in December 2025.
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