Sferra Fine Linens is heading into home fragrance, and making an acquisition to do so.
The brand, which was founded in 1891, has acquired Antica Farmacista, a Seattle-based home fragrance brand based in Seattle. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We believe the addition of Antica Farmacista is highly strategic and complementary to Sferra’s existing luxury home offerings,” said Michelle Klein, Sferra’s president and chief executive officer, in a statement. “The acquisition will enhance Sferra’s breadth in the home fragrance category and strengthen our offering across all channels to better serve our customer base.”
Antica Farmacista is sold online, in boutiques and in department stores. It also has an amenities business that includes Ritz-Carltons and the Hotel Bel-Air. That brand’s founders, Shelley Callaghan and Susanne Pruitt, will be staying with the company.
Sferra is owned by Highlander Partners, which also acquired a majority stake in clean brand RMS Beauty in 2021. Earlier this year, RMS debuted a personal fragrance in collaboration with Heretic Parfum founder Douglas Little. Fragrance is still the fastest-growing category in prestige beauty in the U.S., clocking 12 percent gains in the first half, per Circana data.
“The acquisition of Antica Farmacista reiterates Highlander’s focus on our Italian luxury branded platform strategy, representing an opportunity for us to acquire a complementary, established luxury brand in the innovative and fast-growing home fragrance category with a differentiated product offering and artfully composed fragrances,” said Jeff L. Hull, president and CEO of Highlander — and Sferra’s Chairman — in a statement.
“We will continue to grow our offerings and reach under the Sferra, Pratesi and Antica Farmacista brands and will continue to implement a selective ‘buy-and-build’ investment approach through complementary mergers and acquisitions efforts in the luxury home goods category,” the statement read.
