Mergers & Acquisitions

Ikea, the Swedish home goods retailer, said on Thursday that it had agreed to acquire TaskRabbit, a sharing economy on-demand platform that connects consumers with skilled “Taskers” to handle everyday needs such as furniture assembly, moving and packing, general handyman work, and home improvements. Ikea declined to say how much it would pay for the…

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s finalized their merger this week, announcing the completion of a $4.2 billion deal to combine the two outdoor retailers. Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro Shops, which also owns boat maker White River Marine Group and outdoor-themed resorts, has said it will continue to operate Cabela’s as a standalone brand. The deal…

On Wednesday, Albertsons announced that it had acquired meal kit service Plated. CNBC reports the move represents the first in what figure to be many for the 2,300-store grocer as it looks to fortify its business to compete with the Amazon.com/Whole Foods merged entity. "This transaction is the latest example of Albertsons meeting our customers…

In its fourth attempt, Walgreens Boots Alliance clinched regulatory approval for a deal to buy Rite Aid Corp. stores after a last-minute reduction of the number of stores and price. The Deerfield, Ill.-based drugstore chain said Tuesday it secured clearance for a revised deal under which it will buy 1,932 Rite Aid stores for $4.38 billion.…

Pep Boys announced last week that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers in Phoenix. Advanced, which has operated in Arizona since 1989, has 15 service centers and 120 employees. “We welcome the outstanding Advanced team to Icahn Automotive and look forward to building on the great customer…

Target recently announced the appointment of Minsok Pak as executive vice president, chief strategy and innovation officer. Pak will be responsible for Target’s enterprise strategy development and retail innovation with the goal of enhancing the guest experience and accelerating growth. He will also oversee business development for the company, including mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and joint…

Yesterday, the FTC approved Amazon.com's acquisition of Whole Foods. Below are a few of the changes we'll see: First thing Monday, Whole Foods will offer lower prices on a selection of best-selling staples in its stores, across all categories and stores. Amazon Prime will ultimately become Whole Foods Market’s customer rewards program, providing Prime members with…

The Federal Trade Commission announced this week it will allow Amazon.com to continue its deal to acquire Whole Foods. The estimated $13.7 billion deal was under investigation to gauge whether the merger would decrease competition under federal regulations. Bruce Hoffman, acting director of the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Competition, said in a statement it…

A recent blockbuster deal in the retail arena was the announcement that TV home shopping giant QVC was buying its main rival, the Home Shopping Network (HSN). This comes at a time when the audience for TV home shopping is in decline, causing some analysts to see the merger as a “last gasp” effort of…

VF Corp, whose brands include Vans, The North Face and Timberland, announced yesterday that it is buying privately held Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co, the owner of Dickies and Workrite workwear, for $820 million. The deal is expected to close early in the fourth quarter. This represents VF Corp's first major acquisition since its deal for Timberland six…