Mergers & Acquisitions

New York - U.S. retail and consumer merger & acquisition (M&A) activity during second quarter 2014 was driven by eight multibillion dollar transactions, anchored by the food and beverage (including alcohol and retailing) sectors, exceeding year-over-year deal value by 104% and volume by 52%.

Scottsdale, Ariz. - Kahala Brands, the parent company of Cold Stone Creamery, has signed a 10-year master franchise agreement with Om Nom Nom Mauritius Ltd. (ONN Ltd.) in Kenya. There are seven stores slated to open during a five-year period and the first location will be in the capital city of Nairobi, scheduled to open in late September.

ONN Ltd. will offer luxury products as well as ice cream to Kenyan consumers.

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation (NRF) is highly critical of a decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recommending that McDonald’s and its franchisees should be considered joint employers. According to the NRF, this move would stall job growth and diminish capital investment by making it easier for fast food workers to unionize.

The @WalmartLabs unit of the retailer’s Global eCommerce division has done another deal in Silicon Valley, acquiring the social shopping site Luvocracy.

Fremont, Calif. – The Men’s Wearhouse reported same-store sales growth of 3.6% for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 as of July 19. The retailer’s second quarter ends Aug. 2.

In addition, as of July 19 same-stores sales in Men’s Wearhouse’s Jos. A. Bank division, which was purchased in June 2014, were up 2.4%. Same-store sales at the Moore’s division were up 8.3%.

Fort Worth, Texas – Financial woes continue for RadioShack, which was recently notified it is in danger of being delisted by the New York Stock Exchange. According to a new report from Moody’s Investor Service, RadioShack is likely to run out cash by the end of October 2015.

San Bruno, Calif. – WalmartLabs, the division of Wal-Mart’s e-commerce operation dedicated to developing new technology, has purchased Luvocracy, an online community that helps consumers find products recommended by family members, friends and online influencers. Founded three years ago, Luvocracy was one of the first companies to enable the entire social shopping experience, from discovery to commerce, to occur within its app.

Fort Worth, Texas - David E. Pratt has joined Trademark Property Co. as VP mall and lifestyle leasing. Pratt brings 27 years of retail leasing experience to Trademark, where he will be responsible for leasing of the company’s lifestyle centers and malls.