Mergers & Acquisitions

Retailers better known for selling clothes or aspirin, including Walgreens, CVS/Pharmacy and Target, are expanding into the grocery business.

Kenneth Cole plans to shutter its Manhattan flagship store in Rockefeller Center this year, as well as eight additional stores nationwide, according to CrainsNewYork.com.

Shares of J.Crew surged as high as 9 percent after rumors hit that Sears and Urban Outfitters may launch rival bids for the clothier, according to a report by Bloomberg, citing three people close to the matter.

Jo-Ann Stores Inc. has agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of Los Angeles-based Leonard Green & Partners LP for $61 per share in cash, a transaction valued at $1.6 billion, to accelerate the fabric retailer's expansion, according to Bloomberg.com.

Office Depot Inc. rose to a six-month high and trading of bullish options jumped to 14 times the four-week average on speculation that the retailer will be bought after it boosted executives' pay in the event of a sale.

Germany’s largest online shopping club for fashion and lifestyle, Brands4friends.de has been acquired by eBay for $197 million in a cash deal, the U.S. online auction house announced.

Sears Holdings Corp. recently signed a deal with retailer Work 'N Gear to operate in-store shops inside Sears and Kmart stores.

Neiman Marcus may be known as a place for Texas-size yearnings and price tags, but in a sign of the economic times for luxury retailers, the company is being drawn to a less haughty shopper.

Golden Gate Capital Corp. hired Moelis & Co. to find a buyer for Orchard Brands Corp., a retailer that sells clothing to people 55 and older, as it weighs restructuring the company’s debt, said three people with knowledge of the situation.