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Apax Partners
āThree bankruptcies for Rue21, revolving-door childcare ownership. Apax's consumer track record reads like a warning label.ā
Apax Partners currently owns 1 consumer brand we track, including Cadence Education. It has since exited 1 more.
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Currently Owned
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Formerly Owned
London-based Apax Partners left Rue21 with nearly $1 billion in debt after buying it in 2013. The chain went bankrupt in 2017 and landed with its lenders; its next bankruptcy, in 2024, closed all 540 stores. Apax also owns Cadence Education, a childcare chain where teachers went on strike over stagnant $16/hour wages while tuition increased every six months. From teen fashion to toddler care, the pattern holds: extract value, underinvest in people.
Founded 1969 Ā· London, UK