Mergers & Acquisitions

Bass Pro Shops has lowered its bid for Cabela’s.   Under the amended merger agreement, Bass Pro will acquire Cabela’s for $61.50 per share in cash for a total deal value of approximately $5.0 bil-lion. On October 3, 2016, Bass Pro has agreed to pay $65.50 per share in cash for Cabela’s in a deal valued at $5.5 billion.  

Wal-Mart Stores is still considering a possible entry into the food retail market in India.   With new rules  allowing for  100% foreign ownership of food retailers selling goods produced in India, Krish Iyer, the president and CEO of Wal-Mart India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wal-Mart, said the chain is “evaluating” the guidelines, reported The Economic Times. His answer came in response to a question as to whether Walmart was planning on entering the market.  

St. Petersburg-based Sembler Co. and Atlanta-based Berkley Development have formed a new venture to explore development opportunities in the Southeast.   “This partnership will allow us to work with an exceptional industry professional to better pursue other types of development and redevelopment – small power centers, urban redevelopment projects, even retail elements of primarily residential developments, as possible examples,” said Sembler CEO Ron Wheeler.  

Destination Maternity Corp. saw its loss widen in the fourth quarter and the full year amid declining same-store sales and its exit from several businesses.     The maternity clothing retailer reported a loss $32.8 million, which included a $27.8 million non-cash income tax charge. Its adjusted net loss was $3.2 million, compared to an adjusted net loss of $1.5 million in the year-ago period.   Revenue totaled $100.2 million in the period. Same-store sales fell 7.8%.   

J.McLaughlin is in a growth phase. Armed with a new cloud-based retail platform, the chain can more efficiently execute its plan.    The Brooklyn, New York-based retailer is a specialty apparel chain that operates 115 stores and an e-commerce site. In November 2015, private equity investment firm Brentwood Associates acquired a majority stake in J.McLaughlin, and in July 2016, former Ralph Lauren executive Mary Ellen Coyne came aboard as CEO.   

Five Below is making its West Coast debut.   The retailer will open stores on Friday, April 21, in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Compton, Hawthorne, Montebello, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, South Gate and Redlands. The stores mark the company’s first West Coast locations, bringing its reach to approximately 550 stores in 32 states.  

Walmart has fired another shot at Amazon.   In a move that leverages the retail giant’s vast store and delivery networks and expanding online capabilities, Walmart, starting April 19, will begin offering a discount on merchandise that customers buy online and have shipped to a Walmart store for pick-up. Walmart’s new Pickup Discount program will initially be available only on about 10,000 items, but will be expanded to more than one million of the chain’s most popular items by the end of June.   

An array of private equity firms are interested in The Body Shop.   The beauty retailer, which is owned by cosmetics giant L’Oreal, has drawn bids from around 15 private equity firms and companies, including Bain Capital, CVC Capital Partners, Carlyle Group LP and South Korea’s CJ Group, Bloomberg reported.