Mergers & Acquisitions

Walgreens plans to close about 600 drugstores as it completes a $4.38 billion deal to buy nearly 2,000 from rival Rite Aid. Company spokesman Michael Polzin said Wednesday that most of the closings will be Rite Aid stores, and the vast majority will be within a mile of another store in the Walgreens network. The store closings…

The top three executives at HSN Inc. will step down after the retailer is acquired by Liberty Interactive Group, the parent company of HSN rival QVC. Bill Brand, Rod Little and Judy Schmeling, who served as co-CEOs at HSN for the past several months, won’t be staying on after the $2.1 billion stock deal closes, according…

Office Depot said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire CompuCom, an IT provider for small to midsized businesses. The move gives 8 percent of Office Depot’s shares to Boston-based private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners. CompuCom, which is headquartered in Texas, has about $1.1 billion in annual sales. Office Depot will acquire CompuCom from Thomas H.…

Ace Hardware has acquired a majority stake in The Grommet, an e-commerce startup that brings to market products from independent entrepreneurs and emerging companies, officials announced Tuesday. Launched in 2008, The Grommet has worked with more than 2,500 inventors, entrepreneurs and small businesses to launch dozens of household products and brands on its website. FitBit, IdeaPaint,…

Ikea, the Swedish home goods retailer, said on Thursday that it had agreed to acquire TaskRabbit, a sharing economy on-demand platform that connects consumers with skilled “Taskers” to handle everyday needs such as furniture assembly, moving and packing, general handyman work, and home improvements. Ikea declined to say how much it would pay for the…

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s finalized their merger this week, announcing the completion of a $4.2 billion deal to combine the two outdoor retailers. Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro Shops, which also owns boat maker White River Marine Group and outdoor-themed resorts, has said it will continue to operate Cabela’s as a standalone brand. The deal…

On Wednesday, Albertsons announced that it had acquired meal kit service Plated. CNBC reports the move represents the first in what figure to be many for the 2,300-store grocer as it looks to fortify its business to compete with the Amazon.com/Whole Foods merged entity. "This transaction is the latest example of Albertsons meeting our customers…

In its fourth attempt, Walgreens Boots Alliance clinched regulatory approval for a deal to buy Rite Aid Corp. stores after a last-minute reduction of the number of stores and price. The Deerfield, Ill.-based drugstore chain said Tuesday it secured clearance for a revised deal under which it will buy 1,932 Rite Aid stores for $4.38 billion.…

Pep Boys announced last week that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers in Phoenix. Advanced, which has operated in Arizona since 1989, has 15 service centers and 120 employees. “We welcome the outstanding Advanced team to Icahn Automotive and look forward to building on the great customer…

Target recently announced the appointment of Minsok Pak as executive vice president, chief strategy and innovation officer. Pak will be responsible for Target’s enterprise strategy development and retail innovation with the goal of enhancing the guest experience and accelerating growth. He will also oversee business development for the company, including mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and joint…