Reseller Sign of the Times acquires PapillonKia assets

London-based Sign of the Times has announced the acquisition of some of the assets of designer pre-loved marketplace PapillonKia, which had shuttered earlier in 2023.

It marks the second resale platform acquired by Sign this year, after the company had also acquired the assets of Cudoni following its collapse into administration in August.

According to Sign, the combination of the two marketplaces will raise its customer database by 40 percent, making it “a leader in the UK resale space”.

The move comes just months after the firm had secured an investment from off-price luxury e-tailer, BrandAlley, alongside other industry veterans, including founder of Sweaty Betty, Tamara Hill-Norton, and the CEO of N Brown Group, Sarah Welsh.

The company, founded in 1976 and initially starting out on London’s Chelsea Green, also reported that, prior to the acquisitions, it had seen a 300 percent growth in the last three years.

In a release, Antonia Johnstone, the owner and CEO of Sign of the Times said: “We have merged four resale businesses in the last four years, which cements Sign of the Times as one of the UK’s leading pre-loved businesses.

“We are thrilled to be acquiring the assets of PapillonKia and look forward to welcoming their customers to Sign of the Times.”