Private equity firm Sentinel Capital Partners has acquired cabi, a direct seller of women’s apparel in the US, Canada and the UK.
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Founded in 2002, cabi sells high-quality, accessibly-priced designer clothing to a broad, female demographic via a proprietary network of approximately 3,500 independent stylists who conduct private shows in the homes of more than 78,000 hostesses.
cabi’s stylists provide a personalised shopping experience to the more than one million prospective clients who attend its shows annually. cabi also offers a career opportunity for entrepreneurial women seeking a meaningful income opportunity, while preserving flexibility and work/life balance.
“As consumer behaviour shifts away from traditional retail environments, we feel that cabi is revolutionising the shopping experience for women,” says Lynne Coté, cabi’s CEO. “Our entrepreneurial culture, growing base of highly-trained, committed, and close-knit stylists, and distinctive home show experience are the foundation of our value proposition. Our partnership with Sentinel will help drive cabi’s next level of growth.”
“We are very excited about our investment in cabi,” says Jim Coady, a partner at Sentinel. “Its unique business model has a demonstrated ability and consistent record of generating strong growth, and cabi’s value proposition to its network of stylists, hostesses, and clients is one of the most compelling we have seen. We are highly impressed with cabi’s talented management team and look forward to working closely with them to drive future growth.”
Besides cabi, Sentinel has made six other new platform investments: Altima Dental, the largest dental services organisation in Canada; The Luminaires Group, a North American manufacturer of specification-grade lighting products; Marketplace Events, the largest operator of consumer home and garden shows in North America; Quick Weight Loss Centers, a multistate provider of highly differentiated weight loss management services; Revenew International, a provider of cost recovery and cost containment services; and SONNY’S Enterprises, a provider of conveyorised car wash systems.
