Mergers & Acquisitions

Amazon is the "best long-term growth story available to investors today." But don't expect the company to generate meaningful profits anytime soon.   That's according to MKM Partners managing director Rob Sanderson who, on Tuesday, raised his price target on the online giant's stock to $1,275 per share, up from $1,095.  

Online subscription beauty retailer Birchbox may be looking to sell itself.   The company has been discussing a potential sale with several retailers, including Walmart, reported Recode. If the discounter were to acquire Birchbox, it would be the chain's fifth e-commerce acquisition since last August.   

Houston-based Fiesta Mart has appointed a retail veteran as its new chief executive.   The Hispanic grocery store chain named Sid Keswani as CEO, effective August 9, 2017. He replaced outgoing chief executive Mike Byars.  

Weak sales made for a rough second quarter for Office Depot.   The retailer said its profit fell to $24 million, or 5 cents a share, short of Wall Street expectations, compared with $210 million, or 38 cents a share, in the year-ago period. (The 2016 quarter included a $250 million fee paid by Staples to Office Depot after Staples abandoned its intent to acquire its rival.)  

Ralph Lauren starts its new fiscal year in much the same way as it ended the last one: with sales lines splashed with red ink to indicate the severe declines across most divisions of the company. Some of this would be excusable if the iconic brand were at the start of a journey of reinvention, but this comes after multiple attempts to get the firm back on track - most of which have proved to be fruitless.  

Sprouts Farmers Market doesn't plan on backing out of its partnership with Amazon any time soon.   Despite Amazon’s recent announcement to purchase of Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market plans to continue its role as an Amazon Prime Now delivery partner. More so, the grocer expects the program to extend to more than half of its store network, according to Food Navigator-USA.   

Retail has reached a tipping point. Omnichannel shopping is no longer the “new thing” — it is THE THING. Demographics and technology have permanently altered consumer behavior, and retailers have felt the impact in an unprecedented manner.   In today’s environment, proactive management of the store portfolio is not an option—companies must actively pursue a forward-looking, dynamic, and data-centric approach to design the optimal store portfolio to ensure ongoing viability.  

Alibaba Group Holding is expanding its online travel footprint.