The Works owners, private equity firm Endless and retail entrepreneur Anthony Solomon, are thought to be exploring options for exiting the discount retailer.
It is thought that Rothschild is favourite to lead the process, Retail Week understands. The Works has been owned by Endless and Solomon since 2008 when it was bought out of administration.
The Works posted a 5.5% jump in sales to £141m in it year to April 30 as EBITDA surged 47% to £8.2m. It is thought that sales have continued to surge in recent months.
It is understood that the positive trading, which has coincided with a thriving merger and acquisition market in retail, has led Endless to consider exiting the retailer.
The Works told Retail Week in June that it plans to grow sales by almost 50% in the next three years as it extends its offer beyond its books origins.
Chief executive Kevin Keaney said that he wants the retailer to be known as “a family-friendly general discounter” rather than a books specialist. It has rebalanced its offer to include more gifts, arts and craft and stationery.
Endless has been on a buying and selling spree of late. Last month it both sold bathroom retailer Bathstore in a management buyout backed by US billionaire Warren Stephens and snapped up Kiddicare for £2m from Morrisons in a process also ran by Rothschild.
Endless was unavailable for comment.
5 Readers' comments