Mergers & Acquisitions

Versa Capital Management, a Philadelphia-based private equity investment firm, has acquired Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), effective immediately. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Mark Walsh, a Versa principal and chairman of Bob's Stores, a northeastern apparel retailer that's part of the Versa portfolio, will serve as chairman of the board of EMS, which operates 69 stores in 12 Eastern states.

Aeropostale, a mall-based specialty retailer of casual and active apparel for young women and men, today announced that it's acquired online women's fashion footwear and apparel retailer GoJane.com. Based in Ontario, Calif., GoJane is a rapidly growing women's fashion retailer, with an extensive footwear assortment and a select offering of fashion apparel and accessories. The company was founded in 1998 by Tony Pang and Kurt Kimura, and generated approximately $19 million in revenue in fiscal 2011.

Burnsville, Minn.-based Northern Tool + Equipment said it's acquiring The Sportsman's Guide, a catalog supplier of outdoor goods based in South St. Paul, Minn. It's also purchasing The Golf Warehouse, an online golf equipment retailer based in Wichita, Kan. Together, the deals are worth $215 million, Northern Tool officials said Thursday, Nov. 8. The deals will transform family-owned Northern Tool and give it nearly $1.5 billion in annual sales. The deal still must be approved by antitrust officials.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is buying Oriental Trading Co., a provider of party supplies, arts and crafts, toys, and other items. Financial terms weren't disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of this month. Both companies are based in Omaha, Neb.

PVH Corp. and The Warnaco Group today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which PVH will acquire Warnaco. The transaction values Warnaco at approximately $2.9 billion. With over $8 billion in pro forma revenue, PVH will be one of the largest and most profitable global branded lifestyle apparel companies in the world, with a diversified portfolio of iconic brands led by Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as heritage brands Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, Bass, Speedo, Olga and Warner’s.

Signet Jewelers announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ultra Stores, Inc. from Crystal Financial LLC. and its other stockholders for approximately $57 million in cash. Ultra operates stores primarily in outlet centers, as well as licensed jewelry departments. Signet will not assume any debt in connection with the acquisition.

Macy's and Toys"R"Us — likely the two retailers most associated with Christmas — have joined together for a unique retail partnership. The companies have signed an agreement that will bring Toys"R"Us Express-branded departments in 24 Macy's stores in major markets nationwide during this year's holiday selling season. The departments, which will operate on a leased basis, will average approximately 1,500 square feet (with some smaller and some larger). They will be open for a period of about three months — roughly from Oct. 15 to Jan. 15, 2013.

Men's Wearhouse and The Knot Wedding Network, the country's leading wedding resource, have announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement wherein Men's Wearhouse will be the tuxedo provider of choice on TheKnot.com. This arrangement will give brides-to-be the opportunity to view and interact with Men's Wearhouse brand-name tuxedo merchandise at an early stage of the wedding planning process.

For cross-channel retailer Quiksilver, which designs, produces and distributes a mix of branded apparel, footwear, accessories and related products for outdoor sports lifestyle enthusiasts, the launch of 10 new e-commerce sites in Europe signaled the growth of the brand beyond its traditional markets of the United States and Australia. Consumers in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom — not exactly surfing hotbeds — now can purchase Quiksilver gear and apparel online.

Lowe's said Monday it has withdrawn its bid to purchase Canadian home-improvement retailer Rona. The $1.86 billion unsolicited acquisition proposal had earlier been rejected by Quebec-based Rona, which said the offer was not the best deal for its shareholders. The proposal generated discord among Rona's dealer companies, many of whom threatened to sever their ties with Rona should Lowe's succeed in its acquisition attempt. In a Monday statement, Lowe's said