Mergers & Acquisitions
October 27, 2015 at 11:47 am
The odds of Staples gaining regulatory clearance for its $6.3 billion purchase of rival Office Depot have improved greatly, according to a confidential report on Monday. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) met last Friday with a large corporate customer of Staples to discuss an antitrust remedy to get the deal done, according to the report issued…
October 26, 2015 at 11:08 am
Bridgestone said on Monday that it would buy Pep Boys, the car parts retailer, for about $835 million in cash, to gain a big increase in retail locations. Buying Pep Boys — perhaps best known for its colorfully named founders, Manny, Moe and Jack, who are technically part of its legal name — will give Bridgestone…
October 15, 2015 at 11:31 am
If Martha Stewart had her way, Kmart could have been KMartha. The home goods mogul said she regrets not buying Kmart before a deal with the discount chain went sour. "We thought about buying it, but we didn't do it, and we should have," Stewart said in an interview with The Associated Press. "That could have been…
October 12, 2015 at 10:57 am
Sears Holding Corp. has acquired the WallyHome sensor technology from Seattle startup SNUPI Technologies. With the deal, Sears is also establishing a second Seattle technology office in less than a year, this one on the University of Washington campus. The deal gives Sears technology that can sense changes in moisture, temperature and humidity, alerting property owners to…
September 28, 2015 at 10:59 am
The $6.3 billion merger between the top two office supply chains has hit yet another bump: the European Union opened an “extensive” investigation into the would-be union of Staples and rival Office Depot. Reuters reports that EU antitrust regulators are probing the possibilities of price hikes should the two chains walk down the aisle. The EU said…
September 21, 2015 at 10:50 am
Petco Holdings Inc is exploring the possibility of being acquired by PetSmart Inc, according to people familiar with the matter, in a merger that could create a company that accounts for 30 percent of U.S. pet specialty supplies stores. The preliminary talks between the two private equity-owned companies come after PetSmart ruled out a deal with…
September 14, 2015 at 10:26 am
A 116-year-old name in retail and one of the oldest continuously operating western wear brands is going away this fall. Sheplers stores are being rebranded as Boot Barn, and the changeover is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, said Boot Barn Vice President Jayme Maxwell. Irvine, Calif.-based Boot Barn purchased Wichita, Kansas-based Sheplers in June for $147…
September 9, 2015 at 11:15 am
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is stepping up its probe of Staples Inc.’s takeover of rival Office Depot Inc., seeking sworn legal declarations that could be used if antitrust enforcers decide to challenge the deal, according to people contacted by the agency. The requests for sworn statements from other market participants about the deal’s impact on the…
September 3, 2015 at 11:17 am
Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet said she plans to explore “new ideas and opportunities” after resigning from the online fashion retailer she founded 15 years ago. “My entrepreneurial drive is as strong today as it always has been, and my passion for innovation will continue to be my greatest guide in business,” Massenet said. Massenet’s departure comes as…
September 2, 2015 at 12:09 pm
The small grocery store chain Haggen on Tuesday sued Albertsons for more than $1 billion in damages, alleging the supermarket giant engaged in systematic efforts to eliminate it as a viable competitor in five states. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Delaware, accuses Albertsons of anti-competitive practices. Haggen, based in Bellingham, Wash., says those efforts…
