Mergers & Acquisitions

Coach said Monday that it had reached a deal to acquire upscale retailer Kate Spade in a shakeup for the luxury goods industry as it grapples with sluggish sales. Coach said it would pay $2.4 billion for Kate Spade, which it plans to maintain as an independent brand. Coach said it expects to save $50 million annually…

Camping World Holdings said Monday it has acquired the assets of Gander Mountain and Overton's Inc. through a bankruptcy auction. Camping World's bid of $15.6 million — plus $22.15 million for other assets — was the winning bid in a bankruptcy auction held last week by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota, the company…

Party City is exploring a sale after being approached by a private equity firm about a leveraged buyout, according to reports. If sold, a sale would come two years after buyout firm Thomas H. Lee Partners LP took the company public. Since then, Party City's sales have proven resilient despite the increasing popularity of online…

The Walgreens-Rite Aid merger is increasingly looking like it may be blocked by the Federal Trade Commission. Capitol Forum, a trade publication, reported that the FTC was considering a lawsuit. Bloomberg reports the time line to complete the deal has been extended until July 31, as antitrust regulators review it. Walgreens CEO Stefano Pessina said in an April 5…

In the biggest e-commerce acquisition in history, PetSmart has agreed to purchase pet food and product site Chewy.com for $3.35 billion. Chewy.com has been one of the fastest-growing e-commerce sites, registering nearly $900 million in revenue last year — only its fifth in operation. This deal is bigger than Wal-Mart’s acquisition of Jet.com for $3.3…

Amazon.com is interested in buying BJ’s Wholesale Club, which is currently up for sale, according to the New York Post. BJ’s, which operates 210 club stores in 15 states along the eastern seaboard from Maine to Florida, is already interviewing bankers so it can be begin a sale process. Meanwhile, Amazon — which has been…

Wal-Mart’s acquisition streak under new e-commerce chief Marc Lore looks likely to continue. The world’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer is in advanced discussions to acquire Bonobos, a 10-year-old men’s fashion retailer based in New York City. Sources say the two sides have agreed on a price — which couldn’t immediately be learned — and that the deal…

Supervalu Inc. has agreed to pay $375 million to acquire Unified Grocers, a Los Angeles-area food distributor. The deal intensifies Supervalu’s focus on its wholesale business. Supervalu said it will pay $114 million in cash for all outstanding shares of Unified, a cooperative owned by member grocery firms, and assume about $261 million in debt. The…

eBags has agreed to be acquired by Samsonite International, the travel luggage maker that once employed most of eBags’ co-founders. Samsonite, which started in Denver and is now based in Hong Kong and Luxembourg, said it would pay $105 million for the Denver-based e-tailer of purses, suitcases and nearly any bag imaginable. The deal is…

Office supplies retailer Staples is in preliminary talks with a number of private equity firms for a potential sale. Reports say Staples started to look for buyers after its much anticipated merger with Office Depot fell through. Both companies faced heavy regulatory resistance over the proposed merger, which culminated in a federal judge blocking the deal. In…