Mothercare rejects £266m takeover offer

Baby products retailer Mothercare has rejected takeover approaches worth as much as £266 million from a leading North American retail chain.

Destination Maternity, which is the world’s largest designer and retailer of maternity wear with more 1,900 retail sites, has so far failed to persuade the board of Mothercare to engage in talks over its interest.

It disclosed today that it has tabled two approaches to the struggling UK chain, with its latest cash and shares proposal on June 1 valuing Mothercare at 300p a share, equivalent to £266 million.

Mothercare, which has 220 UK shops under the Mothercare and Early Learning Centre brands, has been closing stores and developing its internet offer as part of a long-running effort to turn around its fortunes.

It recently recorded UK losses of £21.5 million after annual sales fell by 7.5 per cent. And the company is without a permanent chief executive after Simon Calver resigned in the wake of a profits warning due to poor Christmas trading.

Destination Maternity’s proposals involve combining the two companies under a new UK holding company, which would be listed in the United States.

PA