SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Unified Commerce Group (UCG) announced the closing of their investment in Utah-based womenswear retailer Böhme.
Unified Commerce Group made an initial investment in Böhme in early 2024, and increased its investment this month to become the majority shareholder. As the majority investor, Unified Commerce Group assumes operational control of Böhme, with UCG Founder Dustin Jones taking the role of CEO. Böhme co-Founder Vivien Böhme will remain in her role as President running day-to-day operations.
Unified Commerce Group was founded in 2019, with the aim to create a globally compelling portfolio of lifestyle brands, and to enable them with platform capabilities that Jones and his experienced team have built to drive growth. In addition to capital investment, Böhme now has access to the company’s shared services platform- UCG Hub.
The UCG Hub provides operational support, leadership and strategy for each portfolio brand, including digital operations, marketing strategy, as well as technology and finance. The Hub is uniquely designed for mid-sized apparel brands to accelerate their growth and achieve their potential for significant scale. Böhme becomes the fourth brand in UCG’s portfolio, in addition to New York footwear brand GREATS, Canadian fashion brand Frank And Oak, and LA-based athleisure brand Spiritual Gangster.
The investment in Böhme comes at an exciting moment for the brand, which launched in 2006 with its first store in the Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah. The retailer now has 15 stores throughout Utah, Arizona, Idaho and Montana, as well as a successful online presence.
“After spending 20 years working and investing in retail across North America and Asia, I am thrilled to be back in Utah and able to invest in such a promising homegrown business. Since founding the company 18 years ago, Vivien Böhme has become an impressive leader and we have tremendous confidence in her continuing leadership,” said Dustin Jones, “After the seeing the momentum of the business with our initial investment, we believe that there is still vast untapped potential for this brand, and are excited to bring Böhme to a new phase of growth.”
“Dustin and the UCG team have been incredibly supportive of our business over the past few months, and we are extremely confident that this partnership will enable us to continue to grow our presence in the region and nationwide,” said Vivien Böhme.
About Unified Commerce Group
Unified Commerce Group (UCG) is a platform for the next generation of retail brands. UCG was founded by Utah native Dustin Jones and Greg Freihofner with a mission to unlock growth opportunities for high-potential retail brands through expansion into new markets and customer-centric omni-channel capabilities. As an owner and operator of Frank And Oak, GREATS, and Spiritual Gangster, UCG has implemented operational overhauls to scale the brands in a new multi-channel retail environment. Powered by a proprietary tech and data management engine, UCG offers new and established brands a platform to achieve scale by implementing best-in-class store and digital operations, accessing new global markets, and tapping into a world-class partner network. For more information, please visit UnifiedCommerceGroup.com.
About Böhme
Böhme was founded by Vivien and Fernanda Böhme, two sisters from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil who moved to Utah as young girls. Since opening Böhme in 2006, the brand has become one of the most beloved womenswear retailers in the Mountain West, and has expanded to 15 stores in Utah, Idaho, Montana and Arizona, as well as a successful online presence.
Media Contact: Elisabeth de Gramont
elisabeth@unifiedcommercegroup.com