The founders of White Stuff, the fashion retailer, are exploring a potential sale of the business they founded in 1985.

Sky News has learnt that George Treves and Sean Thomas have engaged Rothschild, the investment bank, to field offers following the receipt of an unsolicited approach from a prospective buyer.

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City sources said on Thursday that the pair had not committed to a sale of the chain and that a decision to do so would depend on the valuation it attracted.

One analyst suggested that the company could be worth in the region of £50m.

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White Stuff has steadily built a prominent presence on Britain’s high streets, and now trades from more than 100 shops.

Employing 1,200 people, the company is run by Jo Jenkins, who ran clothing and beauty at Marks & Spencer until she quit to join White Stuff in 2017.

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White Stuff now has partnerships with retail giants including M&S, John Lewis and Next – and has grown successfully, with total sales rising by over 13% during its last financial year.

The company is wholly owned by its founders, who began their partnership by selling T-shirts door to door.

Selling menswear and womenswear, it now boasts more than 500 stockists around the world.

A spokesman for White Stuff declined to comment.

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