Mergers & Acquisitions
Every day it seems like another group-buying site is popping up out of nowhere. Groupon competitor BuyWithMe has just snatched up the Chicago-based Deal-A-Day Online.
Harry & David, which filed for Chapter 11 in March, asked the court for permission to hire a real estate consultant to help close 50 of its 122 stores. The company seeks approval to hire DJM Realty Services, a subsidiary of the Gordon Brothers Group.
Groupon's latest battlefields are in the East, where it faces an uphill battle in China and is the underdog in Australia. Groupon's latest tactic to gain ground: acquire burgeoning deal site Crowdmass.
eBay has acquired MissionFish, which powers eBay's Giving Works charitable giving program. MissionFish was launched with its own auction marketplace where all of the proceeds went to charity. In 2003, MissionFish helped eBay create the Giving Works program so eBay sellers could donate a portion of their eBay auction proceeds to the charity of their choice.
French luxury retail group PPR SA, parent company to Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Puma to name a few, announced a $608 million takeover bid for Volcom.
The Foundry Big & Tall Supply Co., a new specialty retail concept for big and tall men from J.C. Penney, made its retail debut in the Dallas area. Approximately 10 stores are expected to open in the Dallas and Kansas City, Mo., markets by the end of May. The company plans to expand the concept nationwide to 100 stores by 2013, reaching a total of 300 stores over the next five years.
Italian fashion house Prada said it will open stores across the Middle East as part of a joint venture with Emirates luxury retailer Al Tayer Insignia to develop a new retail network.
Walgreens has agreed to buy 10 Carle RxExpress pharmacies in central Illinois. The chain didn't disclose terms of the deal, but expects the sale to close by July. It will continue to run six of the pharmacies and will consolidate a seventh into the others.
Department store giant Bloomingdale's announced it will open three outlet stores this fall. The stores will be located at the Miromar Outlets in Estero, Fla.; Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Wrentham, Mass.; and Woodfield Village Green in Schaumburg, Ill.
Office Depot will be closing its nine remaining stores in Canada on June 11. However, the office supply retailer said it will continue to serve its customers through its Canadian website.