Athena, the poster retailer that decorated a generation of British bedrooms and gave the world the Tennis Girl, is up for sale, offering entrepreneurs and investors a rare chance to buy one of the high street’s most recognisable names outright.
BPI Asset Advisory, a RICS regulated team of surveyors and business advisors specialising in valuation and asset disposal, has been instructed to market the trademarks owned by Athena Licensing Ltd. The package comprises two recently renewed UK trademarks, covering the name and stylised logo, together with a recently renewed EU trademark.
For anyone who grew up in the 1980s or 1990s, Athena needs little introduction. Founded in 1964, the chain grew to more than 160 stores nationwide at its peak, selling the posters, prints and gifts that shaped the visual identity of teenage bedrooms, student houses and first flats across the country.
Monochrome New York skylines, jazz photography, fantasy artwork and surreal imagery all passed through its tills. Its most famous image, the Tennis Girl poster of 1976, remains globally recognised half a century on, alongside landmark pieces including L’Enfant, Beyond City Limits and Jimmy Cauty’s 1976 Lord of the Rings artwork.
Andrew Cromack, director at BPI Asset Advisory, said: “Athena is a name that immediately resonates with generations of people across the UK. Brands with this level of recognition and cultural connection rarely come to market, making this a unique opportunity to acquire a genuine piece of British retail history.”
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