Mergers & Acquisitions

San Jose, Calif. – The upcoming spinoff of its PayPal unit may not be the only deal eBay Inc. has in the works.

According to Reuters, eBay is in advanced talks with private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners LP to acquire eBay’s enterprise business for close to $1 billion.

New York - Tiffany & Co. turned to a main competitor when it was time to find a new global business executive. Tiffany has named Philippe Galtié to the position of senior VP international, effective Aug. 17.

Galtié, 54, most recently held the post of Cartier’s international retail director. He began his career with a range of general management and global marketing roles at Moët-Hennessy, Mars Inc., Eridania Beghin Say and the Nestlé Group.

New York -- Crate & Barrel has nabbed a CEO from the executive ranks of a much more upscale competitor.

The home furnishings retailer named Doug Diemoz, currently chief development officer at Restoration Hardware, as CEO, effective Aug. 1. He replaces Sascha Bopp, who was named CEO in 2012 but left in August 2014. Crate & Barrel COO and CFO Adrian Mitchell has been interim CEO during the search for a permanent replacement.

Irving, Texas – Some stockholders of The Michaels Companies Inc. intend sell 12.5 million shares of Michaels common stock. The selling Stockholders will receive all of the net proceeds from this offering.

No shares are being sold by the company. Goldman, Sachs & Co. will act as underwriter for the offering.
 

The private equity firms that paid a premium to take Michaels private nearly a decade ago continue to gradually unwind their majority position in the nation’s largest arts and crafts retailer.

Peoria, Ill. - Cullinan Properties has acquired an approximately 264-acre site located at the northeast intersection of interstates 55 and 80 in Joliet, Illinois. The property was purchased from O & S Holdings, LLC who acquired the property in 2008, and originally entered into an agreement to develop a project known as Bridge Street Town Center.

However, with the sale of the property, O & S Holdings has terminated the original development agreement. “

New York -- Trader Joe’s is opening a store in the heart of what is arguably the nation’s hippest enclave.

The grocer has signed a lease to open an 18,000-sq.-ft. in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, reported Crain’s New York.

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Every retailer needs a good CFO and that’s especially true at Conn’s where the company’s business model requires balancing the need to grow sales against the charge off risk associated with extending credit to subprime customers.