Mergers & Acquisitions

American Apparel has hired a new CEO — a lawyer with a background in mergers and acquisitions. Chelsea Grayson has served as general counsel for American Apparel for almost two years. She will now be the top executive when Paula Schneider, the CEO brought aboard last year to turn around the company’s fortunes, vacates the position on…

Office Depot agreed to sell its European business to the Aurelius Group, helping sharpen its focus on the North American market after its failed merger with Staples. The deal will be structured as an equity sale for “nominal consideration,” Boca Raton, Florida-based Office Depot said Friday in a statement. The European unit has annual revenue of…

Jessica Alba’s Honest Company is reportedly in talks to be acquired by Unilever. The Honest Company sells environmentally friendly and organic packaged goods, while Unilever makes Dove soaps and Axe body sprays, among other products. The deal is reportedly valued at more than $1 billion, but below the $1.7 billion valuation the Honest Company achieved…

U.S. antitrust regulators let Walgreens Boots Alliance know it will have to close up to 1,000 retail stores if its acquisition of Rite Aid will be approved. Despite this, Walgreens still expects the deal to close in the second half of this year. Walgreens currently has 8,200 U.S. stores and Rite Aid has 4,500. Even…

Camuto Group has acquired Sole Society, a shoe and apparel online retailer. The move is part of Camuto Group’s digital commerce expansion and strategy of enhancing category offerings and continuing to build on its strong accessories platform through extensions in apparel and other key classifications. The acquisition also expands Camuto Group’s reach — Sole Society merchandise…

Talk about a deal! One Kings Lane, an online furnishings retailer, sold for less than $30 million to Bed Bath & Beyond, according to Recode. The purchase price represents a huge discount from One Kings Lane's valuation of $900 million just two years ago, when it raised over $100 million from investors. However, the sale…

Steinhoff International Holdings agreed to buy Mattress Firm Holding Corp. for about $2.4 billion, a deal that vaults the South African discount retailer into the U.S. market while creating the world's largest bedding giant. Steinhoff offered $64 a share in cash, more than double Friday's $29.74 closing price for Houston-based Mattress Firm. The acquisition of the…

Wal-Mart will acquire e-commerce startup Jet.com in a $3 billion cash deal. The move is expected to help Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer become a powerhouse online shopping destination. The $3.3 billion price tag represents the most ever paid for an e-commerce company. Wal-Mart said it expects to receive regulatory approval for the deal, which…

Michaels has purchased the rights to former competitor Hancock Fabrics' brand, patents and trademarks from U.S. Bankruptcy Court for $1.3 million. Michaels Stores Inc, which is based in Texas, bought the rights to Hancock's brand, patents and trademarks from U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware for $1.3 million. The deal also includes all the customer information Hancock had…

Children’s clothing company Hanna Andersson has been acquired by Connecticut-based private equity firm L Catterton. The terms of the deal aren't being disclosed, however, the firm said it plans to keep Hanna Andersson's management team, including CEO Adam Stone, who will continue to operate the business from its Portland, Maine headquarters. The children’s clothing retailer…