Published on 29/10/2018 by Any Business.Com.Au

Minding Your Business: October

Our monthly "Minding Your Business" column for October takes on a somewhat sweet theme this month, with chocolate and retail filling some major Australian business news headlines of late.

Here we take a look at:

Darrell Lea chocolate's push into Victoria with a new acquisition, the expectant return of iconic children's brand Pumpkin Patch to our retail strips, and the uncertain Australian future of boutique chocolate cafe chain Max Brenner.

  • Darrell Lea buys Heritage Fine Chocolates

  • Pumpkin Patch's triumphant return plan following purchase

  • Max Brenner sale falls through at the last minute

Darrell Lea buys Heritage Fine Chocolates

Darrell Lea has acquired confectioner Heritage Fine Chocolates in a move to satisfy its sweet tooth for new products and grow its footprint in Melbourne.

The beloved chocolatier expects its "bold plans for manufacturing" will be easier to achieve following the acquisition which will create as many as 50 new jobs within the next year.

CEO of Darrell Lea Tim York said the future of the 91-year old brand was looking brighter as its manufacturing presence grows beyond the New South Wales border.

He said until now, Darrell Lea has always been viewed as a Sydney company but with manufacturing expansion into Victoria he believes the brand can forge stronger relationships with retailers and consumers.

"There are wonderful synergies between Darrell Lea and Heritage which present exciting opportunities for us to expand our footprint into new categories and with more products," he added.

Pumpkin Patch's triumphant return plan following purchase

The same Sydney-based company that bought out SurfStitch earlier this year has acquired well-known children's wear brand Pumpkin Patch from e-commerce giant Catch Group.

Alceon Group completed the transaction this month to secure Pumpkin Patch's existing stock and intellectual property, including the popular brand it hopes to revive.

It was only just over 1.5 years ago that Pumpkin Patch was picked up by Catch Group from receivers, having fallen from the heights of operating 180 stores across Australia and New Zealand at its peak.

Pumpkin Patch was founded in New Zealand in 1990. Alceon Group is expected to roll out a number of stand alone Pumpkin Patch retail stores.

Max Brenner sale falls through at the last minute

Receivers have been appointed over some Max Brenner assets after a proposed acquisition of the troubled cafe chain fell through in spectacular fashion late last week.

The future of the business remains uncertain after investment duo David and Craig Tozer pulled out of a deal which would have saved the chain last Friday.

Liquidators BDO announced the Tozer brothers were buying the business earlier this month, releasing a statement which said they were "excited" about the opportunity.

However, the tune soon changed. After an apparent breakdown in negotiations, the statement was removed from BDO's website and a spokesperson confirmed the sale was not going ahead.

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AnyBusiness.com.au

Curtis is a leading expert in the business-for-sale industry, serving as a senior content creator at anybusiness.com.au.

With a career spanning over fifteen years, Curtis has accumulated extensive knowledge in the domain of business sales, acquisitions, and valuations. His deep understanding of market dynamics and his ability to translate complex industry jargon into accessible insights make him a trusted resource for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to buy or sell businesses.

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