Culture Kings
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founders |
|
Areas served |
|
| Products | Clothing and accessories |
| Owner | a.k.a Brands |
| Website | culturekings |
Culture Kings is a streetwear clothing and accessories retailer established in 2008.[1] Founded in Gold Coast, Australia by Simon and Tah-nee Beard, Culture Kings has 8 storefronts open in Australia, as well as one storefront in Auckland, New Zealand.[2]
Prior to Culture Kings' founding, co-founder Simon Beard re-sold shoes and hats on eBay under the name 'Culture Kings'. Beard, with wife Tah-nee, founded Culture Kings in 2008 and opened the first Culture Kings store in Southport, a suburb of Gold Coast.[citation needed]
On 8 January 2017, Culture Kings' Acacia Ridge warehouse was destroyed in a fire, resulting in the loss of $500,000 worth of products.[1][3]
As of 2021, Culture Kings has 8 stores open in Australia and New Zealand, with 2 stores in Melbourne, and Sydney, and one store each in Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, and Auckland.[2] Culture Kings original Southport store was closed in 2018.[citation needed]
In March 2021, the founders of Culture Kings sold the company to Boston-based Summit Partners' a.k.a Brands for $307.4 million in cash and 23.3 million shares in a.k.a Brands. Simon Beard remained CEO of Culture Kings while Tah-nee Beard was its COO.[4]
On 24 July 2021, Culture Kings opened its first storefront outside of Australia in Auckland, New Zealand.[5] In November 2022, Culture Kings opened their first U.S. store in Las Vegas.[6] In January 2023, Simon and Tah-nee Beard left their executive roles at Culture Kings. Simon remained on a.k.a's board, and both stayed on as advisers to Culture Kings.[4]
In 2022, Culture Kings received a Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Award.[7]
In October 2023, CreditRiskMonitor reported that Culture Kings' parent A.K.A. Brands was nearing a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.[8]
Collaborations
As of 2021, Culture Kings has collaborated with Champion,[9] Timberland,[10] Odd Future,[11] Kappa,[12] and G-Shock.[13]