Secret Sales has bought two Dutch businesses, V&D (Vroom & Dreesmann) and To Be Dressed. The off-price fashion marketplace says the move will strengthen its presence in the Benelux region and accelerate its growth across Europe.
Its purchase of V&D, says Secret Sales, represents an opportunity to bring one of the Netherlands’ “most cherished brands” back to its one-time position as a Dutch retail destination. In recent years, owner Cool Investments has focused on turning V&D, whose roots go back to 1887, into an online-only department store.
To Be Dressed is a Dutch online fashion platform, founded in 2012, that stocks more than 4,000 brands.
V&D ’not just a brand’
Chris Griffin, CEO of Secret Sales, says: “V&D isn’t just a brand – it’s part of the Dutch story. It holds a special place in people’s lives, with memories and meaning that stretch across generations. This is a rare opportunity to help V&D evolve into something new, while staying true to everything people loved about it.
“Bringing V&D into the Secret Sales family is a proud moment for us. We see the chance to build on its incredible heritage and to re-establish it as the modern, go-to destination for fashion in the Netherlands. We’re equally excited to welcome To Be Dressed to our growing European platform. Together, these brands will play an important role in shaping the next stage of our journey.”
Jonathan Kahn, partner at Cool Investments and outgoing owner of V&D, added: “We purchased the V&D brand ten years ago and successfully developed it into an online-only business. This sale to Secret Sales marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. With their scale, platform, and ambition, V&D is now perfectly placed to grow beyond that foundation and reclaim its former glory – once again becoming a trusted destination for the Dutch people.”
Secret Sales says the acquisition is one of the largest in Secret Sales’ history. Sellside Partners supported the deal.
Following the acquisitions, Secret Sales now trades across seven European markets. It has a range of more than a million products, 17mn registered users and a network of more than 4,800 partner brands.
Secret Sales also recently created an off-price luxury retail media network to monetise data from 5.5mn customers for 4200 brands.
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