A Cumbria-based mail-order clothing company has taken the reins of the North Yorkshire business, Bella di Notte.
The lingerie and clothing firm, which specialises in Italian lingerie and better-fit fashion for mature women, has been acquired by WCF Ltd, based in Brampton.
Bella di Notte will continue to operate from Malton, North Yorkshire, as part of WCF's strategy to allow its brands to run as independent businesses.
It joins WCF's existing mail-order clothing brands which include Country Collection, James Meade and The Classic Boutique.
Jo Ritzema, managing director of WCF, said: "Bella di Notte’s focus on product excellence and superior customer service meant it was an ideal fit to complement our existing home shopping clothing brands.
“Both companies share a great ethos of investing and supporting their teams to drive innovation and productivity, and we’re working closely with the Bella di Notte team to ensure a smooth transition.”
Operating in the retail, leisure and logistics sectors, WCF's home shopping division forms a part of its nationwide family of businesses.
The part employee-owned firm now has almost 400 people working across more than 30 locations.
WCF's existing home shopping mail-order business is located in its Brampton-based headquarters.
The Bella di Notte business was established in 1998 by Susan Johnson and floats on the success of an almost 40 strong team, operating out of a 5,000 sq ft unit.
Susan and her husband Chris intend to hang on to their consultancy roles for some time to secure a smooth transition of their responsibilities.
Ms Johnson said: “The decision to sell Bella di Notte was taken as part of our succession planning strategy which will allow our positive sales growth to continue.
“Being part of a larger company will provide access to additional expertise, resource capacity and financial investment, while protecting the team’s job security, allowing them to share in its continued success and giving them more opportunity to make decisions as part of a larger team.
“After 25 years of running Bella di Notte, the time was right for the business to move forward and I’m looking forward to watching its continued development and growth under the care of WCF.”
Ms Ritzema shared future plans for WCF to enhance Bella di Notte's successful ranges.
She said: “We plan to build on the success of Bella di Notte by continuing to deliver the fantastic range of clothing and lingerie which have made it so popular with existing customers, implementing new marketing strategies to find more customers, while also working towards enhancing the range with designs which appeal to an ever younger-minded customer.”
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