Mergers & Acquisitions

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holding Corp. has met financial expectations for its new real estate investment trust (REIT) called Seritage Growth Properties. A 53.3 million-share Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) subscription rights offering for Seritage that closed on July 2 was oversubscribed and generated about $1.6 billion, meeting expectations for gross proceeds of $1.57 billion.

Indianapolis - Lids Sports Group will continue living out the childhood dreams of countless consumers by “playing ball” with Major League Baseball players. Lids has reached a licensing agreement extension with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) granting the sportswear retailer licensing rights to embroider the names, numbers and autographs of MLBPA players on New Era MLB-licensed caps.

Specialty home goods retailer Conn’s continues to expand outward from its home state of Texas with several recent openings in key markets pushing the company toward its ambitious 2015 growth plan.

Conn’s currently operates 90 stores and earlier this year announced plans for between 15 and 18 new stores. Over the July 4 weekend the company added two store in North Carolina, a 46,000-sq.-ft. store in Charlotte and a slightly smaller 43,000-sq.-ft. store in Gastonia.

Dollar Tree's yearlong takeover saga, in which the retailer's offer to buy Family Dollar prompted a separate buyout attempt from Dollar General, is finally over.

Dollar Tree Inc. announced that it has completed its $8.5 billion acquisition of Family Dollar Stores Inc. Dollar Tree also named a new president and COO of Family Dollar. The combined company will operate about 13,000 stores, making it the largest dollar store chain in the U.S. by store count. 

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less (“Ross”) isn’t slowing down its brick-and-mortar expansion.

The chain will open a new location in Salina, Kansas, on July 18. The 25,000-sq.-ft. store is located in the Central Mall, 80 miles north of Wichita. The opening is part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.  

Houston -- Houston-based Baker Katz, an X Team International partner and full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, announced the acquisition of a 2.12-acre property with an existing 13,000-sq.-ft. office building located near the cross streets of U.S. Highway 59 N and West Little York Road in Houston.

Dublin, Calif. -- Ross Dress for Less will open two new stores in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area on July 18.  The stores are located in the Wake Forest Crossing in Wake Forest, 15 miles northeast of downtown Raleigh, and the Shops at Cameron in Sanford, 50 miles southwest of Raleigh.  

These openings are part of the retailer’s 2015 expansion program, totaling approximately 70 new locations during the year.  
 

Matthews, N.C. – The pending merger with Dollar Tree Inc. took a toll on Family Dollar’s profits in the third quarter.

Expenses related to the merger drove Family Dollar’s net income down 1.5% to $79.9 million from $81.1 million the year-ago period, below Wall Street expectations.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. has named William (Will) A. Powell as CEO and president. Powell succeeds W. Bruce Johnson, who as previously announced is stepping down as CEO and president.

Littleton, Mass. – Specialty equestrian retailer Dover Saddlery Inc. is jumping into a new business arrangement.

Dover Saddlery has completed its merger with a company formed by Webster Capital. Dover shareholders will receive $8.50 per share in cash in the merger, and all in-the-money stock options and warrants will be cashed out.