Retail, Consumer and Leisure

With a team of dedicated investment professionals, more than 10 operating partners, and management teams from over 20 active portfolio companies, we take great pride in the visions we share for how to source, execute, and enhance investments on a global basis.

Our eyes and ears around the world are identifying and forecasting the most critical consumer themes on a regional basis – health and wellness, deep discount, controlled brands, and many others – and we collaborate to pursue the most attractive sub-sectors within the RCL market. The experience and expertise of our team allow for an efficient recognition of the businesses exhibiting characteristics of our shared vision for an "Advent deal" – retail store growth, unique unit economics, high consumer affinity, defensible customer accounts, and many others – and further narrows that group of candidates to opportunities in which the Advent network can bring additional value. Seasoned deal professionals and operating partners instinctively compare a prospective Retail, Consumer and Leisure investment to the “standard of excellence” in its market – return on assets, inventory turnover, overhead efficiency, and many others – to identify areas of EBITDA growth opportunity. After finding our targets, we adapt our approach to closing deals to best position Advent to win without necessarily paying the highest price – relationship development, future equity gains, more efficient diligence given our sector experience, and many more. Then, hand-in-hand with our management teams, we transform that vision into reality through a rigorously prepared action plan, leveraging our network of executives and advisors to assist us. From the prospecting stage to exit, we work together as a global team to execute on a vision that has been fine-tuned over many years of experience in the RCL sector.

See our Retail, Consumer and Leisure investments

Other Sector Experience

Business and Financial Services

Healthcare

Priory Group

Industrial

Technology, Media & Telecoms

Oberthur Technologies

Case Study

Five Below

Investing in US based Five Below in October 2010 presented an exciting new opportunity for us in the high growth, extreme value sub-sector.

Five Below combines exceptional value with trend-right quality merchandise for teens and pre-teens in a vibrant shopping environment. The rapidly changing merchandise offering includes electronic accessories, sporting goods, games, fashion and school accessories, gadgets and more, all priced between $1 and $5.

Having successfully expanded fast-growing store concepts such as value chains Poundland and Takko and sports apparel retailer Lululemon into nationally known brands, high-growth retail is an area where we have a proven track record. With Five Below we recognized a best-in-class retailer with the potential for further growth and a management team dedicated to taking advantage of that opportunity.

Since 2002, Five Below’s clear demographic focus, dynamic store experience and exceptional unit economics have enabled the company to grow consistently, adding a further 40 stores during 2010 and 50 in 2011. The chain now has over 192 stores in 17 states and, with the trend toward value retail remaining strong, we look forward to further expansion opportunities in new US regions.

"With Five Below we recognized a best-in-class retailer with the potential for further growth and a management team dedicated to taking advantage of that opportunity"