Finance & Capital Management

CAMDEN, N.J. — Campbell Soup Company has agreed to buy Bolthouse Farms from a fund managed by Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, a private equity firm, for $1.55 billion in cash. Founded in 1915, Bolthouse is a vertically integrated food and beverage company focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing proprietary, high value-added natural, healthy products.

New York – Best Buy is cutting 2,400 employees, including 1,800 store employees and 600 Geek Squad technical support associates, employees, as it seeks to restructure operations, the Associated Press reported.

The layoffs amount to about 1.4% of the company’s total staff of 167,000. A Best Buy spokesman, Bruce Hight, said the cuts were part of the company’s “ongoing turnaround plan,” according to the report.

Best Buy intends to cut 2,400 jobs, including 600 Geek Squad technicians, which would make up 1.4% of its work force, Reuters reported Friday.

According to the report, these cuts are in addition to the job reductions related to the 50 store closings the company announced in March.

Click here to read the full report.

SKOKIE, Ill. — Topco Associates announced that Andrew Broccolo has joined the company as general counsel. In this new position Broccolo, 46, will report directly to Topco president and CEO Randy Skoda.

“I’m thrilled that Andy is now part of our leadership team,” Skoda said. “Andy will be instrumental in helping Topco effectively manage risk while also providing sound legal advice that assists us in driving our day-to-day business of delivering value to the association’s 52 members.”

YONKERS, N.Y. — Retailers that cater to lower-income and higher-income consumers should be pleased with the most recent Consumer Reports Index, as those two groups showed the greatest improvement in consumer sentiment.

The Consumer Reports Index, an overall measure of Americans' personal financial health, saw a sharp improvement in its consumer sentiment measure, which jumped to its highest level since October 2008.

New York -- Ikea has been rebuffed by India on a request to relax rules on buying goods locally, Reuters reported, citing a government source. The rebuff is likely to delay Ikea’s entry into the Indian retail market.

In June, Ikea said it would invest approximately $1.86 billion and open 25 stores in India. But the chain was seeking a 10-year window to comply with India’s rule that foreign retailers source 30% from local small and medium-sized firms. The requirement is seen by overseas companies as a hindrance to investment.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Educational toy manufacturer LeapFrog Enterprises announced that chief financial officer Mark Etnyre has resigned from the company in order to spend more time with his family and pursue personal interests. The resignation will be effective as of Oct. 1.

The rhetoric over allowing foreign direct investment in India is reminiscent of the rhetoric that would have occurred in the United States 30 years ago had Walmart’s critics knew then what they profess to know now.