Is Express owned by private equity?
PE-backed
Yes. Run since 2024 by Phoenix, a venture led by WHP Global, a brand-licensing company backed by private-equity firms Oaktree and Ares, with mall owners Simon, Brookfield Properties and Centennial.
Details
- Owner
- Phoenix (WHP Global-led joint venture)
- Part of
- WHP Global
- Backers
- Oaktree Capital Management; Ares Management
- Since
- 2024
- Website
- express.com
- Confidence
- High
Sources
- “Phoenix Closes Acquisition of Retail Operating Assets from Express, Inc.” prnewswire.com, 2024-06-25
- “WHP Global (brand portfolio page)” whp-global.com
- “Oaktree explores continuation vehicle for WHP Global” ionanalytics.com, 2026-08-28
Checked 2026-11-04. A label describes who owns the brand, not the quality of its products. How we label · Report a correction
See this on express.com itself: click the PE or Not? extension icon on any page of the site. More clothing, shoe and accessory brands