Mergers & Acquisitions

VF Corp has announced that it is selling its workwear brand Dickies for $600 million in cash to brand management company Bluestar Alliance. The deal comes as the apparel maker is undergoing a turnaround and navigating rising economic uncertainty. Dickies, which VF bought for about $820 million in 2017, has been facing persistent sales declines…

Books Inc. will live on — as a Barnes & Noble brand. The 174-year-old San Francisco-based bookstore chain, which filed for bankruptcy early this year, announced Wednesday a proposed sale to the category behemoth. The sale, which must be approved this fall by a bankruptcy court, is valued at $3.25 million. Books Inc. would keep…

Foot Locker shareholders voted to approve the footwear and apparel retailer’s acquisition by Dick’s Sporting Goods, which was announced in May. Shareholders voted at a special meeting held last Friday and approved the deal with 99 percent of the votes cast, representing 70 percent of all outstanding shares, voting in favor, Foot Locker said in…

U.S. undergarments maker Hanesbrands has been bought by Canadian firm Gildan Activewear in a $2.2 billion agreement, the companies announced Wednesday. Gildan, whose brands include Anvil, Gildan, American Apparel, Peds, and Gold Toe, will pay about $6 per Hanesbrands share. The companies said the transaction was valued at about $4.4 billion when HanesBrands' debt is…

Retail mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are waking up in the second half of 2025, setting the stage for a busy turn to 2026. The deal landscape reflects a new mix of optimism and caution. Inflation, Rates and Consumer Mood: The Big Variables Retail M&A has spent the past year dodging curveballs from inflation and fluctuating…

Amazon.com has announced plans to further invest in artificial intelligence with the purchase of a company called Bee that sells a Fitbit-like wristband equipped with AI and microphones, Bee's CEO and co-founder announced on social media Tuesday. Based in San Francisco, Bee advertises its wristband as "wearable AI that understands you." Retailing for $49.99 (plus…

The Home Depot announced Monday that it is buying GMS, a building products distributor, for about $4.3 billion as the retailer moves to draw more sales from contractors and other home professionals. As part of the deal, The Home Depot-owned subsidiary SRS Distribution will purchase all outstanding shares of GMS for $110 per share, which…

Home decor retail chain Kirkland's announced Tuesday it is rebranding to The Brand House Collective as part of its ongoing transformation and association with Beyond Inc, whose portfolio includes Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, and Buybuy BABY. Beyond acquired the rights to Kirkland's IP and brand name for $5 million in May, granting Kirkland's a license…

Levi Strauss has agreed to sell Dockers to brand management firm Authentic Brands Group (ABG) for $311 million, the companies announced Tuesday, reports CNBC. Under the terms of the deal, ABG will own Dockers’ intellectual property while Centric Brands will take on operations, handling manufacturing, sourcing and distribution. Under the brand management business model, Levi’s…

Beyond, the parent company of Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY, has struck a deal to acquire rights to the brand name of home decor and furnishings retailer Kirkland's, reports Yahoo Finance. As per the asset purchase agreement, pending senior lender approvals, Beyond will also buy some related assets. The plan is to license…