7 Retailers That Are Ripe For Acquisition

Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods this year lit up the imaginations of Wall Street analysts, as well as those of other retailers. It had bystanders asking both “Who’s next?” and perhaps saying “Me too!” As the Financial Times wrote in September, “Bankers report an upsurge in requests from their retail clients asking that they put a call in to see if Amazon would be interested in acquiring them, too.” Amazon is not alone in buying up fellow retailers. As it tries to catch up to Amazon’s digital reach, Walmart has bought online outdoor retailer Moosejaw, vintage-inspired online women’s apparel seller Modcloth, menswear site Bonobos and is reportedly interested in acquiring beauty subscription service Birchbox. Target, Ikea and Office Depot have all made notable acquisitions this year as well. Read more at Retail Dive.