Liberty store of London has been put on the market with a potential price tag of £350 m. Private equity Blue Gem acquired the business in 2010 for £32m and refinanced in 2014 reducing its stake to around 40%. Blue Gem is trying to offload its stake but it is unclear whether other investors are willing to sell. Group sales reached £133m in the year to February 2018, up 8% on the previous year, while pre-tax profit more than trebled to £7m. Around 60% of the store's profits come from selling own-label merchandise.

The company was founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875 with a £2000 loan from his future father-in-law. It has become an international brand selling its fabrics and leather goods around the world. It is this aspect of the business which might appeal, according to some, to high net worth investors such as the Weston family, whose Canadian arm owns Selfridges, Brown Thomas, de Bijenkorf and Holt Renfrew, while the British arm owns Fortnum & Mason and Heal's in London.