Fat Face, the extreme sportswear and casual clothing retailer with over 112 stores across the UK, is rumoured to be planning a sale or flotation. 

Owners Advent International are thought to be considering a number of investment banks to advise on the options, including UBS and NM Rothschild.

Advent purchased Fat Face in May 2005 when it paid rival private equity firm ISIS Equity Partners £100m for the company. Since then, 15 new stores have been opened and analysts believe that Advent could be set to make a 100% return on its investment if a sale goes ahead. 

In May this year, Fat Face reported annual sales of £80m.

Friends and winter sport fanatics Tim Slater and Jules Leaver founded Fat Face in 1988 to fund their trips to the Alps. The pair have retained substantial shares in the company.