Mergers & Acquisitions

Traffic problems continued to hinder Staples in the first quarter even as the company awaits regulatory approval of its merger with Office Depot. 

Grand Rapids, Mich. — Meijer announced Wednesday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Aureus Health Services, a national specialty pharmacy and health services company based in Pittsburgh, and a portfolio company of BelHealth Investment Partners, to enhance its customer offerings, particularly to patients with complex chronic conditions.
 

A month after being named America's favorite home improvement store, Ace Hardware reported record profit in the first quarter of 2015.

Seattle -- Nordstrom plans to further expand its San Diego County presence with the addition of a Nordstrom Rack at The Shops at La Jolla Village in La Jolla, California.

The approximately 32,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in fall 2016. The property is owned by Alecta Real Estate USA, LLC. When it opens, it will be the fifth Nordstrom Rack in the San Diego area and about one mile west of Nordstrom at University Towne Centre.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. - Kohl’s Corp. is preparing to open a store in southern New Jersey called "Off Aisle by Kohl's," a name that suggests the company may be following the lead of other retailers opening off-price formats.

Winston-Salem, N.C. - Krispy Kreme (will open 31 stores in South Africa during the next five years. The coffee retailer has signed a development agreement with KK Doughnuts SA (Pty) Ltd, that will mark its first venture into Africa.

Krispy Kreme has more than 1,000 stores in 24 countries.

Columbia, Md. – The Howard Hughes Corp. has signed several retail and restaurant leases for the public promenade at The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia, a new luxury apartment community located in Columbia, Maryland. As part of the transformation, The Howard Hughes Corp. recently completed the renovation of the historic Rouse Building into a flagship Whole Foods Market and a 27,000-sq.-ft.luxury spa and wellness center, as well as kicked off a multi-stage renovation of Merriweather Post Pavilion.

New York -- Surging rents in Manhattan have claimed another victim, and this time it's one of the city's most iconic retail establishments. F.A.O. Schwarz will close its legendary toy store on Fifth Avenue this summer, citing the high and rising costs of operating a store on one of the city's most pricey blocks of real estate. Toys "R" Us, which acquired F.A.O. Schwarz in 2009, said it will close the 45,000-sq.-ft.