Earlier in the week it was reported that struggling retailer Specialty Fashion Group has sold its stable of mid-market brands – Millers, Katies, Rivers, Crossroads and Autograph – to rival group Noni B Group.

Dubbo has Millers and Katies outlets in Macquarie Street, while Rivers and Autograph share a location in Talbragar Street.

On Monday morning, Noni B was making no public comment, but a company spokesman said more information would come from executives.

The $31 million sale will leave only one brand in Specialty Fashion’s portfolio: City Chic, the successful plus-sized women’s apparel label.

Late in 2017, Specialty Fashion had announced it would close 300 stores would over a three-year period. 

The brands being sold ran at a combined $6.2 million loss in the 12 months to the end of December, while City Chic was on track for underlying earnings of $19 million to $20 million this financial year. 

Specialty Fashion ran at an $8 million loss in 2017.​

With the acquisition of the Specialty Assets, Noni B Group will become one of the largest specialty women’s apparel retailers in Australia, with a network of more than 1350 stores across nine brands, including Noni B Group’s existing brands, Noni B, Rockmans, W.Lane and BeMe.

Noni B Group’s total annual sales would almost treble to around $1.0 billion following the acquisition, based on calendar year 2017 figures, managing director and chief executive officer Scott Evans has said.

 “This is another exciting step forward for Noni B Group and represents the acquisition of five well-known and established, iconic Australian brands that are both complementary and highly synergistic to our existing portfolio,” he said.