Kroger announced on October 14th that the company has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire all of Albertsons stock for an estimated consideration of $34.10 per share, implying an enterprise value of approximately $24.6 billion. This purchase price represents a premium of 29.7% to the 30-day average share price. Kroger is eager to join […]

Halloween is a favorite time of year in my house.  The weather gets crisper, there are plenty of seasonal activities to enjoy, like pumpkin picking, hayrides, walking around the neighborhood looking at spooky decorations, carving pumpkins, dressing up, and, of course, there is candy. It’s a time for people to debate the value of candy […]

It’s not often in the consumer space that we hear about transactions where both the buyer and seller are publicly owned. However, one such transaction was announced last week, when the Korea-based business Naver indicated it had reached an agreement to purchase the U.S. based company Poshmark for $1.2 billion, subject to certain approvals. The […]

Last month, my colleague Maeghan Thompson wrote about how consumers and retailers are planning to cope with what could be a recessionary Holiday season.  In the meantime, forecasters have now given their predictions of Holiday sales.  At first sight, the estimates seem rather jolly, but the fuller picture shows Scrooge in the background. To provide […]

As we close out summer and enter fall, many of us will soon start thinking ahead all the way to the holiday season. Retailers and consumers alike are keenly aware that inflation rates are higher than they’ve been in decades and this holiday will be unique. Consumers are worried about being able to afford gifts […]