
Li & Fung acquires Orrsum
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Under the deal, Orrsum will operate as part of LF Europe and continue to be led by William Orr. The British business will leverage the Hong Kong-based firm's AI-enabled digital infrastructure and sourcing network across 40 economies to strengthen supply chain agility, improve speed-to-market, and expand into new geographies and channels, according to a press release.
'Joining the Li & Fung family is a milestone for Orrsum,' said William Orr, CEO of Orrsum, which delivers over 50 million pairs of socks annually to more than 5,000 retail doors worldwide.
'With access to their global platform and advanced technology, we can expand our footprint, enhance service levels, and unlock new growth opportunities for our customers and partners.'
The deal is Li & Fung's first acquisition in over ten years, and marks the first takeover since it went private in 2020. The supply chain management company said the deal is a strategic pivot toward platform-based growth, focused on scalable product categories, digital integration, and resilient supply chain solutions.
'Looking ahead, our growth will be fueled by a combination of disciplined organic expansion and selective acquisitions that strengthen our platform and extend our category leadership,' said Joseph Phi, group CEO of Li & Fung.
'This acquisition reflects our renewed momentum through expanded product specialization, leveraging our resilient, technology-enabled, and customer-focused global supply chain.'
Founded in 1998, Orrsum makes hoisery and underwear for global brands including Ellesse, Ted Baker, Nautica, Umbro, Penguin, Hype, and Coca Cola, among others.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Bank of England set to cut rate as UK economy weakens
With the BoE likely to trim borrowing costs by a quarter point to 4.0 percent, focus will be on potential changes to the central bank's economic growth and inflation outlooks. "There are clear signs of (UK) economic deterioration, particularly stemming from the labour market," Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, noted ahead of the latest rate call. "Yet policymakers must weigh this up against the risk of inflationary pressures particularly with rising food prices and international uncertainty around (US President Donald) Trump's tariffs and volatility in energy markets." Against this backdrop, analysts expect splits within the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee. Some argue that while the majority of the nine policymakers, including governor Andrew Bailey, will vote for a quarter-point cut, some are likely to demand an even larger reduction and others no change. A quarter-point cut Thursday would be the BoE's fifth such reduction since starting a trimming cycle in August 2024, emphasising its "gradual" approach to reducing rates. The BoE's main task is to keep Britain's annual inflation rate at 2.0 percent but the latest official data showed it had jumped unexpectedly to an 18-month high in June. The Consumer Prices Index increased to 3.6 percent as motor fuel and food prices stayed high. Weak economy Latest official figures also show that Britain's economy unexpectedly contracted for a second month running in May and UK unemployment is at a near four-year high of 4.7 percent. This is largely down to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government increasing a UK business tax from April, the same month that the country became subject to Trump's 10-percent baseline tariff on most goods. London and Washington reached an agreement in May to cut levies of more than 10 percent imposed by Trump on certain UK-made items imported by the United States, notably vehicles. Last month, the BoE warned in a report that tariff unpredictability and Middle East conflicts pose risks to UK financial stability. The US Federal Reserve last week kept interest rates unchanged, defying strong political pressure from Trump to slash borrowing costs in a bid to boost the world's biggest economy. Asked about US tariffs following the decision, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told a press conference: "We're still a ways away from seeing where things settle down." The European Central Bank is meanwhile widely expected to keep rates unchanged at its next meeting, with eurozone inflation around the ECB's two-percent target. But that could change, according to some economists, based on how Trump's tariffs affect the single-currency bloc.

LeMonde
4 hours ago
- LeMonde
Capturing CO₂ through cryogenics: Eiffage pioneers new technology to decarbonize its industry
The installation – a metal tower 11 meters high, flanked by a container and a tank, one for storing liquid nitrogen and the other for capturing carbon dioxide (CO 2) – would almost go unnoticed beside the two enormous lime kilns that continuously transform limestone, extracted from a quarry owned by Bocahut, into calcium oxide. This network of pipes and tubes, perpetually covered in white dust, is the demonstrator for the Lyon-based start-up Revcoo, which has developed a proprietary process for capturing CO 2. Since 2024, it has been tested on this 120-hectare open-air site, owned by French construction group Eiffage and located in Haut-Lieu (northern France), 25 kilometers south of Maubeuge. "For now, our pilot has a capture capacity of 1,000 metric tons of CO 2 per year. Our goal is to multiply that by 10 by 2027, then reach 80,000 to 100,000 metric tons in 2030 – the equivalent of the site's total emissions," explained Hugo Lucas, founder and president of Revcoo. The 33-year-old engineer founded the start-up in 2019 with the ambition of contributing to the decarbonization of heavy industry. His patented "CarbonCloud" technology is relatively straightforward: It captures smoke off the factory's chimneys, sorts out the CO 2 by freezing it, liquefies it, and then stores it in tanks. The entire process runs on electricity, with no water or solvents required.


Fashion Network
7 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Fears for Claire's UK as bidders are thin on the ground
As its American parent files for bankruptcy, there are concerns that the UK arm of budget jewellery and accessories retailer Claire's may struggle to find a buyer, raising the prospect of further job losses in a British retail sector already under pressure. A report by Sky News said the news organisation 'has learnt that advisers to Claire's Inc… are not expected to land a solvent bid for its UK chain'. The British operation trades from around 300 British stores and the Europe-wide workforce (including the UK) numbers around 5,000. Claire's UK isn't expected to file for administration imminently, although it could happen this month, according to Sky's sources. That prospect comes as potential bidders appear to have got cold feet 'as the scale of the chain's challenges has become clear', a 'senior insolvency practitioner' told Sky. Those interested inthe business had been believed to include Lakeland owner Hilco Capital. There has also been speculation that as many as a third of the UK shops could be closed if the chain is to survive. Restructuring firm Interpath Advisory had been hired to find a buyer for the UK and European operations. It hasn't commented on the latest report. Meanwhile, Julie Palmer, partner at insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor, told 'Claire's second bankruptcy in seven years is emblematic of the broader crisis gripping the high street, both at home and abroad. The once-popular budget jeweller has struggled to keep pace with the rapid shift to online shopping. Its reliance on physical stores — once a key strength — has become a major liability. With its core customers of young teenagers having the ability to shop around with their thumbs across an ever-expanding range of internet options for cheaper and more convenient alternatives, a wave of store closures in the coming months looks inevitable. 'Tariffs have added to the strain. Claire's is heavily reliant on low-cost Chinese imports and the [parent company's] prospect of repaying the $500 million loan in December next year will be looming heavily over management's minds. The message is clear: the structural changes impacting every retailer have only accelerated meaning other long-standing names will have to adapt quickly to avoid a similar fate.'