Mergers & Acquisitions

New York – Tiffany &Co. plans to offer two series of senior notes, one due in 2024 and one due in 20144, for a total of $500 million. The initial purchasers of the notes are expected to be Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., BNY Mellon Capital Markets LLC, J.P. Morgan and Mizuho Securities.

Pleasanton, Calif. – Safeway Inc. is offering to pay cash consent fees to holders of three series of senior notes due in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Note holders who accept the fees would release Safeway of the obligation to repurchase the notes at 1% interest when its expected fourth quarter merger with Albertson’s LLC occurs.

Fort Worth, Texas – Beleaguered consumer electronics chain RadioShack Corp. says it is in talks with an unidentified “major vendor” about modifying a commercial agreement in a way that could benefit a financial restructuring. RadioShack announced the ongoing discussions in a Sept. 22 regulatory filing.

Two acquisitions in two years blended with organic growth have allowed Boot Barn to nearly double in size and lay claim to being America’s largest western and work wear retailer.

Tractor Supply with its more than 1,300 stores and Walmart might dispute that assertion — depending how western and work wear are defined — but there is no denying that Boot Barn is a retailer on the move with backing from growth oriented private equity owners.

The nation’s largest automotive retailer has entered some rarified retailing air after reporting its 33rd consecutive quarter of double digit profit growth during the fourth quarter ended August 30.

The operator of 5,391 stores in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil said its fourth quarter profit increased 7.4% to $373.7 million while earnings per share increased 15.6% to $11.28, compared to prior year profits of $371.2 million, or $9.76 a share.

New York – Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. on Friday closed its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange with its shares up 38% from its I.P.O., closing at $93.89.

The stock opened for trade on Friday at $92.70 shortly, a 36% jump above its initial public offering price of $68 a share. More than 100 million shares changed hands in composite trading in the first 10 minutes of trading.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – A $400 million loan Eddie Lampert, the CEO and largest shareholder of Sears Holdings Corp., is making to Sears this month reportedly is only enough to last the struggling retailer for three months. According to Bloomberg, global ratings agency Fitch Ratings is projecting that Sears will need $4 billion in capital to avoid running out of cash altogether in 2016.

Boise, Idaho - Albertsons and Safeway Inc. announced the new senior leadership team and division leaders  for the combined company that will take effect upon the closing of their proposed merger. The deal is expected to close in a few months.

Safeway president and CEO Robert Edwards will serve as CEO of the combined company and current Albertsons CEO Bob Miller will become executive chairman.

St. Louis -- Brown Shoe Company has invested $9 million in Jack Erwin, an online men’s shoe brand that launched last year. It’s Brown’s first investment in a startup.

Founded by Ariel Nelson and Lane Gerson, Jack Erwin creates high-quality men’s shoes, selling them directly to consumers for under $200 a pair.