Hilco Capital Limited is a British financial investment and

restructuring Restructuring or Reframing is the corporate management term for the act of reorganizing the legal, ownership, operational, or other structures of a company for the purpose of making it more profitable, or better organized for its present needs. ...

advisory company, operating in the UK, Western Europe, Canada and Australia.

History

Hilco Capital was founded in London in 2000 as a joint venture between its management team and Hilco Global. In April 2013, Hilco Capital rescued entertainment retailer

HMV HMV is an international music and entertainment retailer, founded in 1921. The brand is owned by Hilco Capital and operated by Sunrise Records, except in Japan, where it is owned and operated by Lawson. The inaugural shop was opened on Lo ...

/ Fopp from administration, saving 141 branches. In February 2019, the retailer was sold to Sunrise Records, but with Hilco Capital retaining and licensing the trademarks for HMV/Fopp and

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

as Mermaid (Brands) Limited. In May 2018, Hilco Capital rescued the home improvement chain

Homebase Homebase was a British Home improvement center, home improvement and garden centre retailer that operated across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was founded by British supermarket chain Sainsbury's and Belgian retailer GIB Group, GB-Inno ...

for a nominal £1 from

Wesfarmers Wesfarmers Limited is an Australian conglomerate, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. It has interests predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, operating in retail, chemical, fertiliser, industrial and safety products. With revenue o ...

, following a botched attempt to convert the stores to their

Bunnings Warehouse Bunnings Group Limited, trading as Bunnings Warehouse or Bunnings, is an Australian Hardware store, hardware and garden centre chain. The chain has been owned by Wesfarmers since 1994, and has stores in Australia and New Zealand. Bunnings was ...

format. In August 2018, Hilco Capital announced a

company voluntary arrangement Under UK insolvency law an insolvent company can enter into a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). The CVA is a form of composition, similar to the personal IVA (individual voluntary arrangement), where an insolvency procedure allows a compa ...

(CVA) for Homebase, closing 42 of its 249 stores in an attempt to return it to profitability. In February 2020, the retailer returned to profitability earlier than expected, and was listed for sale in November 2020. In November 2024, Hilco Capital placed Homebase into administration following sustained losses, with CDS Superstores, B&Q and Wickes purchasing certain assets. The firm have also rescued Denby Pottery Company, as well as

Habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

, before selling to sold to Home Retail Group & Cafom). Other deals include Tilley Endurables (Canada, sold to Gibraltar & Company), Glue Stores (Australia, sold to Accent Group), Anglia Crown (sold to BonCulina) and Cath Kidston Limited (sold to Next). Hilco Capital also acted as an advisor for

Debenhams Debenhams plc was a British department store chain that operated in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, as well as franchised locations across Europe and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and gr ...

and Peacocks during their administrations, and also operated British Home Stores during their administration. They have also provided funding for Superdry, French Connection, Gieves & Hawkes and David Jones. While the company was described in December 2018 by ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' as a

vulture fund A vulture fund is a hedge fund or private-equity fund that invests in debt considered to be very weak or in default, known as distressed debt. Investors in the fund profit by buying debt at a discounted price on a secondary market and then u ...

, other media reports have described this narrative as ‘scapegoat-hunting desperation’.

Awards

Hilco Capital was awarded ''Special Situations Debt Provider of the Year'' at the IFT Awards 2022. The company also won the ''Turnaround of the Year Award'' at the Turnaround, Restructuring & Insolvency Awards (TRI) 2019. It also won the ''Business Rescue of the Year'' award (£21-50m turnover) at the Insolvency & Rescue Awards 2009.

References

{{reflist, 30em Financial services companies established in 2000 Restructuring Financial services companies based in London