Mergers & Acquisitions

Signet Jewelers, parent company of Zales, Jared, Kay Jewelers, among other jewelry brands, said Tuesday that it will acquire online jewelry retailer Blue Nile for $360 million in an all-cash deal. The move will help Signet to appeal to younger consumers and grow its bridal business. Signet said the deal, which will be funded with cash…

Amazon.com is adding a new device to its collection of tech products with the acquisition of iRobot, which is best known for its automatic home vacuum, the Roomba. The e-commerce giant announced Friday that it had purchased the builder of consumer robots for $1.7 billion, or $61 per share. Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices, said…

After a six-month review period that saw its own stock and the broader markets falling by more than 20 percent, Walgreens announced Tuesday that it has decided to retain ownership of its U.K.-based Boots unit, as well as its No7 cosmetics brand, reports PYMNTS. A deal that had been reputed to be worth up to…

Farfetch has made a new investment in Neiman Marcus Group (NMG), reports Yahoo. The U.K.-based online shopping platform inked a new minority common equity investment of up to $200 million in NMG on Tuesday, joining existing investors including PIMCO, Davidson Kempner Capital Management, and Sixth Street. According to Farfetch, the investment in NMG will be used to…

Private-equity firm Sycamore Partners and Canada’s Hudson’s Bay plan to submit takeover bids for Kohl’s Corp that could value the department store chain above $9 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Sycamore and Hudson's Bay plan to bid in the high $60s a share for Kohl’s, which asked suitors to submit offers by Wednesday, the people…

There's an e-commerce gold rush happening right now and Amazon.com is leading the charge. Last year, Amazon generated $386 billion in annual revenue, with third-party sales accounting for 54 percent of it, according to Jungle Scout. However, selling on Amazon can be challenging as sellers battle a competitive marketplace that requires them to be agile…

Sports apparel company Fanatics is teaming up with rappers Jay-Z and Meek Mill and entrepreneur Maverick Carter and others to purchase Mitchell & Ness, maker of throwback jerseys and retro sports apparel. The group is paying $250 million, according to the someone familiar with the terms who spoke to The New York Times. Fanatics will own…

Activist group Macellum has amplified the pressure on Kohl’s as it seeks to take control of the retailer’s board by nominating 10 directors. Macellum, led by Jonathan Duskin, has criticized Kohl’s for not performing as well as it could in recent years. Last month, it called for the company to consider selling itself. Kohl’s responded by saying Macellum’s efforts…

Peloton, the stationary-bike maker and seller that has had its share of ups and downs lately, is drawing interest from potential suitors, according to recent reports. On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon.com was interested in purchasing Peloton, "according to people familiar with the matter." Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported Nike was also interested. CNBC.com reported…

Kohl’s Corp. confirmed yesterday that it has received letters expressing interest in acquiring the company, following reports over the weekend that two firms are preparing bids to purchase it. Kohl’s, however, hasn't decided what course of action it will take yet. According to a press release, Kohl’s board of directors "will determine the course of…