Distribution

By Will McKitterick, analyst, IBIS World

Staples has entered an agreement to acquire Office Depot in a cash and stock deal valued at $6.3 billon that is sure to face a high degree of regulatory scrutiny.

New York -- Staples has entered an agreement to acquire Office Depot in a cash and stock deal valued at $6.3 billon that is sure to face a high degree of regulatory scrutiny.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Specialty pet retailer PetSense has selected Shopatron as its inventory lookup and analytics partner to support its omnichannel operations, including a new e-commerce site that launched in November 2014. The Shopatron Retailer platform will support more than 3,000 PetSense product SKUs and allows the retailer to see which items were searched for at what location to help guide its merchandising decisions.

Seattle – Amazon.com is reportedly piloting co-branded e-commerce sites with three universities. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon is partnering with Purdue University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of California Davis to operate the sites, which sell textbooks and T-shirts as well as other items available on Amazon.com.

Boise, Idaho - Albertsons LLC and Safeway Inc. have completed their proposed merger, ending a nearly year-long process that began in March 2014. AB Acquisition LLC, the owner of Albertson's and New Albertson's, Inc., will acquire all outstanding shares of Safeway.

The merger will create a diversified network that includes 2,230 stores, 27 distribution facilities and 19 manufacturing plants with more than 250,000 employees across 34 states and the District of Columbia.

The Kroger Co. is getting more accolades from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this time for its efforts to reduce food waste.  

New York -- Jones New York announced that it will close its 127 outlet stores and discontinue its wholesale business over the course of 2015.

The company said that it made the decision after a review of recent performance and outlook. Jones also said it will pursue strategic alternatives for the brand, which has long been a staple in mid-priced department stores. Its appeal, however, faded in recent years as department stores expanded their private label offerings.