Catalyst Brands

Last updated
Catalyst Brands LLC
Predecessor JCPenney
SPARC Group
Founded2025;1 year ago (2025)
Headquarters
Plano, Texas
,
United States
Parent Brookfield Corporation (50%)
Simon Property Group (50%)
Subsidiaries JCPenney
Brooks Brothers
Lucky Brand Jeans
Nautica
Aéropostale
Eddie Bauer
Website catalystbrands.com

Catalyst BrandsLLC was formed in 2025 by the merger of SPARC Group and JCPenney. [1] [2]

Contents

Copper Retail JV LLC is a business entity formed by and under the control of Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners, and Copper Bidco LLC. [3] In December 2024, Copper Retail JV acquired 100% of the outstanding equity of SPARC Group Holdings. The acquisition brought together Copper’s existing investment in department store icon JCPenney and the newly acquired operations of specialty retail brands Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand Jeans, and Nautica. [4] [5] [6]

Marc Rosen, former CEO of JCPenney, leads Catalyst Brands. [7] [8]

In January 2026, it was reported that Eddie Bauer was preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the third time, as well as the liquidation and permanent closure of all of its nearly 200 stores nationwide. The company's manufacturing, e-commerce, and wholesale operations are not expected to be affected by the potential bankruptcy filing, and will continue to remain operational as the licensee transfers to a new owner, Eddie Bauer Outdoor 5, LLC. The bankruptcy filing is expected to only include Eddie Bauer and no other subsidiaries of Catalyst Brands. [9]

Brands

List of Catalyst Brands
NameYear

acquired

Year

founded

Aéropostale 20251987
Brooks Brothers 1818
Eddie Bauer 1920
JCPenney 1902
Lucky Brand Jeans 1990
Nautica 1983

References

  1. ↑ JCPenney Joins SPARC to Form Catalyst Brands Women’s Wear Daily, David Moin, January 8, 2025
  2. ↑ JCPenney, Sparc Group Merge To Form Catalyst Brands Nasdaq, January 9, 2025
  3. ↑ "FORM 8-K". UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.
  4. ↑ Lucky, Forever 21 Operator Merges With JCPenney Bloomberg, Eliza Ronalds-Hannon and Reshmi Basu, January 8, 2025
  5. ↑ Limehouse, Jonathan (9 January 2025). "JCPenney merges with Forever 21's parent company Sparc Group to create new entity". USA TODAY.
  6. ↑ "A zombie mall store king is born: JCPenney merging with new owner to create new company". MSN. East Idaho News.
  7. ↑ A zombie mall store king is born: JCPenney merges with Forever 21 owner Jordan Valinsky, CNN, January 9, 2025
  8. ↑ "SPARC Group Has Merged With JCPenney to Form Catalyst Brands". Business Wire. January 8, 2025.
  9. ↑ Palmieri, Jean (2026-01-29). "Eddie Bauer Store Operator Expected to File Bankruptcy". WWD. Retrieved 2026-01-29.

See also

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