Deals

Eddie Bauer LLC could be for sale.   The retailer has hired investment banks Guggenheim Partners LLC and Financo LLC to explore strategic alternatives, including a potential sale, Reuters reported. The debt-laden company is seeking relief from a $225 million term loan due in 2020 and $200 million revolving credit line that comes due in 2019, the report said.  

Staples is close to returning to private ownership.   Private equity firm Sycamore Partners is in advanced talks to acquire Staples, according to numerous media reports. The deal could top $6 billion, reported Reuters, which said Sycamore is in the process of finalizing a debt financing deal with Staples. Sycamore repeatedly beat out Cerberus Capital Management in an auction.  

Sears Canada could file for Chapter 11 sooner than expected.   The struggling offshoot of Sears Holdings Corp., is preparing to seek court protection against its creditors. The filing — which could happen within weeks — will likely lead to a liquidation, with the business sold off in pieces, sources told Bloomberg.  

West Elm has announced the newest location for its fledgling West Elm Hotels portfolio.   The company, a division of Williams-Sonoma, is teaming up with Signature Development Group and Jordan Real Estate Investments to develop a hotel in Oakland, Calif. Expected to open in 2020, the hotel will be located in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood, and will celebrate the rich diversity and history of the location.   

Sears Holdings is reducing headcount as part of its ongoing effort to deliver $1.25 billion in annualized cost reductions. It's also losing a key online executive.   Sears is eliminating some 400 full-time jobs at its corporate offices, in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and from its support functions. In addition, certain positions at the chain's field operations will be impacted. The eliminated jobs represent less than half a percent of the 140,000 full-time and part-time employees Sears had as of the end of January.  

GDA Real Estate Services has purchased an 174,353-sq.-ft. portion of the Marketplace at Delta Township Lansing, Michigan, in a deal brokered by Mid-America Real Estate Corporation. The sale price was not disclosed.   Key tenants at the acquired property include Michael’s, Petsmart, Tractor Supply, and Ulta Beauty. It is shadow-anchored by Walmart and Lowes.  

There's been another development in the planned Walgreens Boot Alliance and Rite Aid merger.  

The Toronto-based Slate Retail REIT announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire five grocery-anchored centers in Florida and Pennsylvania for a total of $105 million.   “This five-asset portfolio meets all of our acquisition criteria -- attractive returns, markets we like that add scale, pricing well below replacement cost, strong anchors, and in-place rents that are below market,” said Slate CEO Greg Stevenson.