Mergers & Acquisitions

Walmart to Buy TV Maker Vizio for $2.3B
February 20, 2024 at 5:40 pm

Walmart has agreed to buy TV maker Vizio, the companies announced Tuesday, as the largest U.S. retailer grows its high-profit ad business, reports CNBC. Walmart will acquire Vizio for $2.3 billion, or $11.50 per share, in cash. The big-box retailer announced the acquisition as it reported its fourth-quarter earnings. Walmart and its Sam’s Club warehouse…

Shoe Carnival Acquires Rogan's Shoes for $45M
February 14, 2024 at 12:17 pm

Shoe Carnival is expanding with the acquisition of Rogan's Shoes, a midwestern independent shoe retailer with 28 stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. Shoe Carnival announced the acquisition Tuesday, saying it had purchased Rogan's Shoes for $45 million. The company said the move "advances [its] strategy to be the nation’s leading family footwear retailer" and…

Beyond the Transaction: Ensuring Long-Term Success in Retail M&A
January 11, 2024 at 2:01 pm

In the past year, the retail industry has witnessed an unprecedented surge in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), exceeding $100 billion in total activity. As we begin 2024, it's forecasted that we will see an explosion in M&A activity. Retailers are strategically engaging in M&A for multiple reasons, from international expansion to increasing market share, expanding…

Chico's FAS Sold to Private Equity Firm, CEO Molly Langenstein to Depart
January 9, 2024 at 6:21 pm

Chico's FAS Inc. shareholders approved the sale of the fashion company for $1 billion cash to New York-based private equity firm Sycamore Partners, reports News-Press. New owner Sycamore Partners has moved Chico’s brands — Chico's, White House Black Market, and Soma — into KnitWell, a holding company formed last year. KnitWell also includes Ann Taylor,…

LVMH Buys Luxury Eyewear Brand Barton Perreira
November 7, 2023 at 3:37 pm

LVMH is buying luxury eyewear brand Barton Perreira, famed for making James Bond’s shades, as it taps into the fast-growing designer sunglass market, reports CNBC. LVMH’s Thelios eyewear division agreed to acquire Irvine, California-based Barton Perreira for an undisclosed sum. The deal is Thelio’s second big acquisition in two months, after it bought French Alpine…

Unilever Sells Dollar Shave Club to a Private Equity Firm
October 30, 2023 at 12:01 pm

The consumer packaged goods conglomerate Unilever announced the sale of Dollar Shave Club to a private equity firm, Nexus Capital Management LP, whose portfolio includes the shoe brand Toms, the plant-based food and beverage brand TruRoots, and the beauty supplement brand Sugarbear, among others. Unilever, based in London, will retain a minority interest of 35 percent. The sale comes…

Overstock.com to Change Corporate Name to Beyond
October 24, 2023 at 3:09 pm

Overstock.com, Inc., which operates as Bed Bath & Beyond, today announced that it will change its corporate name to Beyond, Inc. effective Nov. 6, 2023. The company will also transfer its stock listing from the Nasdaq Global Market (NASDAQ) to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and change its ticker symbol from OSTK to BYON. Following…

Shopify Investing in Wholesale Platform Faire
September 27, 2023 at 3:26 pm

E-commerce giant Shopify is now a stakeholder in the wholesale platform Faire, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal establishes Faire as the recommended wholesale marketplace for Shopify and expands Shopify’s B2B offerings, helping drive growth for the brands as well as the independent retailers the two companies serve. “At Faire we have long admired Shopify’s like-minded…

Soft Surroundings Files for Bankruptcy, Partially Acquired by Coldwater Creek
September 19, 2023 at 4:05 pm

Women’s apparel retailer Soft Surroundings last week filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced plans to close all 44 of its stores. The company’s remaining assets have been acquired by Coldwater Creek under the ownership of Newtimes Group, which plans to continue to sell Soft Surroundings' apparel and accessories online and via catalogs. Soft Surroundings has secured $18 million…

Kroger, Albertsons in Talks to Sell 400+ Stores as Part of Merger
September 7, 2023 at 3:12 pm

Grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons plan to sell more than 400 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers for nearly $2 billion, Reuters reported Wednesday. The sale is part of a proposed $24.5 billion merger between the two companies, which are trying to secure U.S. regulatory clearance. Reuters reported the deal would give C&S, a privately held…