GXO Logistics, which calls itself the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, is acquiring Irving, TX-based 3PL PFSweb for $181 million in an all-stock deal, the companies said, increasing GXO’s presence in apparel, footwear and health and beauty categories. The transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter, and GXI paid a 50% premium to the Sept. 13 close.
Amazon aggregators, companies using massive capital to acquire and roll up top sellers to gain economies of scale, continue to fall on hard times as market forces have squeezed the model and forced them to shift their focus from an arms race to a profitable growth trajectory. They now look to grow existing brands and launch new products, only sparingly doing new acquisitions, an expert says.
Fast fashion retailers Shein and Forever 21 struck a major deal aimed at cross-promoting brands to a similar audience of younger apparel shoppers heading into a closely-watched holiday season. It’s a marriage of mall, retail and brand experience with a production and distribution machine driven by tech and social savvy. But there’s a shadow cast by concerns over Shein’s business practices.
Razor Group, a Berlin-based aggregator of top-selling brands, and Factory 14, the UK rollup which it acquired in 2022, are being sued by two companies and their founders — Kettlebell Kings and Tribe WOD — in interlocking charges of breach of contract and failure to live up to purchase agreements by not adequately funding their growth and expansion.
Talk of consolidation in the overcrowded Amazon aggregator space has come to fruition, as Berlin-based SellerX is acquiring Elevate Brands of Austin, giving the new company a combined portfolio of 80 Amazon brands, 40,000 products and a $431 million run rate. It was the second such deal after Suma and D1 Brands tied up in late May.
Not unlike Walmart, Qurate Retail Group has divested Zulily to focus on its core business. The once popular flash sale site, targeting young mothers with deals across brands and categories including apparel, home and garden and toys, was sold to Los Angeles-based investment firm Regent. It was purchased in 2013 for $2.4 billion.
Shopify has pulled the plug on its ambitious in-house logistics business built up in recent years, selling Deliverr to global supply chain provider Flexport and warehouse robotics firm 6 River Systems to UK-based fulfillment automation firm Ocado. “We are changing the shape of Shopify significantly today to pay unshared attention to our mission,” said Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke in a letter to employees.
Choosing a buyer for your ecommerce company is one of the most important decisions you will make. During a transaction process, potential buyers will dig into the company, request data and ask questions about the business. But due diligence should be a two-way street. Use this time to ask your own questions and ensure you and the buyer are aligned on the points that matter to you.
Less than two months after selling off Moosejaw Mountaineering to a more appropriate home at Dick’s Sporting Goods, another of Walmart’s digital-first apparel brands is being sold. This time, menswear seller Bonobos is going to Express and WHP Global for $75 million, a $235 million discount to its $310 million acquisition in 2017.
Cincy Brands, a startup acquirer, is focused on measured growth in the “better for you” category of brands offering healthier, less chemical-intensive products, seeing itself as the opposite of mega-aggregators that grew massive in a hurry and have found themselves retrenching.