Retail real estate execs are always on the prowl to find the rare retailers willing to expand in today’s climate. So there’s some doubly good news on that front from GNC today.
The vitamin and nutrition specialty retailer is planning a $350 million IPO that will help facilitate its plans to open 4,800 company-owned and franchised locations to its store base. The firm currently has 7,100 locations. So this would represent a fairly sizable increase in its portfolio. Its expansion plans also will move it more aggressively overseas, including into China.
There is no timeline for how quickly it would like to add those stores. But that’s an aggressive target no matter how you slice it.
Here are some other news and notes from around the retail real estate world.
- Urban Outfitters CEO on Business, Brands and Blogs (Multichannel Merchant)
- Wealthy Take Bigger Helping of Fast Food, (Wall Street Journal)
- Forever 21 to bow on glitzy Fifth Avenue, (Crain’s New York)
- H&M to Slow Store Openings Amid Building Slump, (Wall Street Journal)
- Judge dismisses Freed’s defenses and counterclaims on Block 37 (ChicagoRealEstateDaily.com)
- Kohl’s Opens 21 New Stores. (WFMZ TV)
10 Would-Be Buyout Targets
by Elaine Misonzhnik September 30th, 2010
We’ve reported before how private equity players are coming back into the market for retailers. In recent weeks, we’ve already seen the acquisition of fast food chain Burger King by 3G Capital. Meanwhile, bookseller Barnes & Noble has made no secret of its plans to to secure a deep-pocketed buyer.
To help figure out which other retailers might be up for sale, The Street put together a list of most likely acquisition targets. These include American Eagle Outfitters, Saks Fifth Avenue, GameStop and BJ’s Wholesale Club, among others.
In addition to the leveraged buyouts, there might be a powerhouse move by Amazon.com to acquire movie rental service Netflix, a deal that may have big implications for Amazon’s competitors in the bricks-and-mortar realm.
No Comments Related Topics: Commentary, News, Retail, Trends |