Deals

Issaquah, Wash. -- Costco Wholesale Corp. said Thursday it has acquired partner Controladora Comercial Mexicana’s 50% share interest in Costco Mexico for approximately $760 million, funded by dividend proceeds, cash and investment balances.

The Costco México joint venture has been 50% owned by each of Costco Wholesale and CCM and operated by Costco Wholesale. :

Jaime Gonzalez Solana will continue as CEO of Costco México.
 

New Orleans -- Costco Wholesale Corp. will enter the state of Louisiana with a 148,000-sq.-ft. store at Carrollton Plaza Shopping Center in New Orleans.

The new lease, announced by center owner The Feil Organization, will add Costco to a lineup of retailers that includes CVS, Firestone, Family Dollar and Subway.

Costco is slated to open spring 2013.

New York -- Barnes & Noble Inc. founder and chairman Leonard Riggio agreed on Wednesday to forgo $29 million from a sale of one of his companies to the book retailer in order to settle a shareholder lawsuit, according to court documents, Reuters reported.

The lawsuit goes back to a 2009 agreement by the chain to buy back Barnes & Noble College Booksellers Inc. for $514 million from Riggio.

Suffern, N.Y. -- Ascena Retail Group Inc. announced it has successfully completed its tender offer for Charming Shoppes Inc.'s outstanding shares.

Ascena announced in May it that was buying Charming Shoppes, whose banners include Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug,  and Catherines Plus Sizes, for about $890 million.

Charming Shoppes will become an Ascena subsidiary and will stop trading on the Nasdaq and Chicago Stock Exchange once the transaction is complete. Ascena’s retail subsidiaries include Dressbarn, Maurices and Justice.

Sunbury, Pa. -- Weis Markets has closed on its purchase of three former Genuardi's stores and is slated to reopen them on June 16.

Ahead of the three openings -- in Conshohocken, Doylestown and East Norristown, Pa. – Weis said it opened each store's pharmacy Monday at noon to minimize prescription service disruption.

 

New York -- Private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners has purchased Things Remembered from Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. (BRS) and GB Merchant Partners for $295 million.

New York -- The Fisher family, the founders of Gap Inc. have acquired a stake in high-end riding-gear and apparel company Ariat International Inc.

The Fisher family, along with Ariat management, purchased the firm from LNK Partners and Brentwood Associates. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
 

Topeka, Kan. -- Collective Brands said Thursday that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has granted early termination of the waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act in connection with Collective’s impending $2 billion acquisition by Wolverine World Wide, Blum Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital.

As announced on May 1, investment firms Blum Capital and Golden Gate will jointly acquire the operations of Payless ShoeSource and Collective Licensing International.