Mergers & Acquisitions

Blackstone, the investment firm most recently known for backing the womenswear brand Spanx and the dating app Bumble, has invested in another female-founded company, according to a company press release. Blackstone announced Monday it had purchased a majority stake in Supergoop!, a sunscreen beauty brand founded by Holly Thaggard. Supergoop's CEO Amanda Baldwin and the…

Nike announced that it bought virtual sneaker company RTFKT for an undisclosed sum, as the sportswear giant looks to quickly expand its footprint in the fast-growing “metaverse,” reports CNBC. Formed in 2020, RTFKT also makes NFT collectibles and memes. The virtual products and experiences company uses technologies like augmented reality, blockchain authentication, NFTs and game…

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) is adding Quiet Logistics to its portfolio, reports Yahoo Finance. The retailer has agreed to purchase the logistics firm for $350 million in cash, building upon its acquisition of logistics firm AirTerra earlier in the year as it continues to enhance its supply chain capabilities. Quiet Logistics has locations in Los…

Best Buy announced earlier this week that it agreed to acquire Current Health, a U.K. tech company that helps with remote patient monitoring and telehealth. The consumer electronics retailer expects the deal to close by the end of the fiscal year, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. With the move, Best Buy…

Gap Inc. announced earlier this week that it's acquiring the New York- and Tel Aviv-based startup Context-Based 4 Casting (CB4), which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to identify patterns in retail data and identify ways to improve in-store sales. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. CB4's software examines point-of-sale (POS) data to uncover consumer demand…

Adidas said last week that it entered into an agreement to sell Reebok to Authentic Brands Group (ABG) in a mostly cash deal worth €2.1 billion, or about $2.5 billion at current exchange. The deal is set to close in Q1 of 2022. ABG, a brand management company, owns more than 30 consumer brands, as…

Foot Locker will buy two smaller shoe store chains for a total of about $1.1 billion in cash, the footwear retailer said on Monday as it looks to expand its business beyond malls and extend its reach in Asia. The company is buying California-based WSS for $750 million and Japanese streetwear retailer Atmos for $360…

Nordstrom said Sunday it has acquired a minority stake in four apparel brands owned by the online U.K. fashion house ASOS, reports CNBC. The brands — Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, and the activewear label HIIT — target younger consumers in their 20s. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Although ASOS will retain operational and creative control…

Part one of this series likened the investment in an underperforming online brand to putting one’s money in a “fixer-upper” home that needs a lot of work because, in both cases, there's a greater chance of maximizing one’s return on investment. Part one addressed two of five important growth vectors that e-commerce aggregators and other…

Online crafts marketplace Etsy announced on Monday a $217 million deal to acquire Brazilian online marketplace Elo7, reports CNBC. Etsy CEO Josh Silverman is banking on Latin America to be a growth catalyst for the e-commerce company, calling Elo7 “the Etsy of Brazil.” Similar to Etsy, Elo7 allows merchants to set up an online shop and sell…