Is Parfums de Marly hanging up the "for sale" sign? The Advent International fund is considering selling Parfums de Marly and, according to Reuters, potential buyers include CVC, Cinven, and the Spanish company Puig, with a valuation that could fall below 2 billion euros, according to sources close to the French news agency.
Founded in 2009, the French firm is inspired by 18th-century French perfumery and boasts fragrances such as Layton, Delina, and Valaya. Its positioning is clearly premium: many of its bottles exceed 250 euros.
Advent acquired a majority stake in Parfums de Marly and INITIO Parfums Privés to accelerate their international growth, an operation closed in June 2023. According to BeautyMatter, the fund has commissioned Jefferies and Goldman Sachs to manage a possible sale, which would still be in an early stage.
Interest would not be limited to funds. The same publication indicates that L'Oréal, Puig, Estée Lauder, private equity firms, and independent fragrance distributors have also explored the same operation. In Puig's case, FashionUnited points out that it would be, for now, the least active of the three candidates in its conversations with Advent. Reuters published the information at the same time that Puig was presenting the group's strategic plan.
The timing of the operation coincides with a transition period at Parfums de Marly: its founder, Julien Sprecher, has stepped down as CEO and has handed over daily management to an external executive. In addition, Advent is divesting assets in its beauty portfolio, and among the selling points are its strong growth and international expansion.
Regarding the size of the business, the figures do not match: MilanoFinanza speaks of about 720 million euros in revenue, while BeautyMatter, in previous information, mentioned about 400 million euros in annual sales. However, there is no information from either Advent or Parfums de Marly.