Authentic Brands Group buys IP of casual workwear wear brand Dockers from Levi Strauss & Co for $331m

Brand development and management company Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property of US ‘casual workwear’ brand Dockers from Levi Strauss & Co for an initial $311m and possibly up to $391m, depending on how the brand performs under Authentic’s management over the next few years.

Levi Strauss said in October 2024 in its third quarter earnings announcement that it was reviewing the future of the Dockers brand, including a potential sale, as it planned to focus on growing its Levi’s brand and on developing Beyond Yoga, which it acquired in 2021 for a rumoured $400m to expand its reach in the active wear and women’s market segments.

Authentic has already announced its long-term partner Centric Brands will manage Dockers  across key lifestyle and performance categories in the US and Canada.

Authentic says: "Centric will take on sportswear, activewear, kids’ apparel, dress shirts, workwear and performance golf, reinforcing Dockers’ positioning across both lifestyle and functional segments.”

Jason Rabin, CEO of Centric Brands, comments: "Dockers represents everything we look for in a brand partnership – iconic heritage, consumer loyalty, and growth potential. We’re bringing the same strategic expertise to Dockers that we’ve applied to our successful brand portfolio that includes design, strategic sourcing and an extensive wholesale network. We look forward to the growth of the Dockers brand.”

Authentic’s usual strategy is to buy brands and IP and negotiate agreements for manufacture and distribution of those brands. Usually, it will have organised some of these partnerships in parallel with the negotiations for the actual brand purchase.

In its release, it says: “Authentic plans to unlock new opportunities for Dockers through its global network of more than 1,700 licensing partners, with a focus on innovation, omnichannel expansion and international growth. The company is in active discussions with regional operators in LATAM, EMEA and SE Asia to transition and scale Dockers’ existing businesses across those markets.”

Subject to regulatory approval, the North American part of the deal should close at the end of July, with completion for the rest of the world in January 2026.

Authentic Brands Group is a global brand development and licensing platform. It owns Authentic owns more than 50 global brands which make around $32bn in annual retail sales. Authentic’s portfolio includes Reebok, Champion, Nautica, Elvis Presley, Eddie Bauer, Aéropostale, Lucky Brand, Nine West, Brooks Brothers, Juicy Couture, Vince Camuto, Quiksilver, Billabong, Sperry, Hunter, Ted Baker and more.