Content about Private

May 9, 2013
Post Holdings expands brand portfolio

Post Holdings has entered into a deal to acquire the branded and private label cereal, granola and snacks business of Hearthside Food Solutions, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners.

ST. LOUIS — Post Holdings has entered into a deal to acquire the branded and private label cereal, granola and snacks business of Hearthside Food Solutions, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners.

May 8, 2013
Foot Locker to acquire Runners Point Group

Foot Locker has started the ball rolling toward acquiring Runners Point Warenhandelsges, a specialty athletic store and online retailer based in Recklinghausen, Germany, for a total cash consideration of approximately $94 million.

NEW YORK — Foot Locker has started the ball rolling toward acquiring Runners Point Warenhandelsges, a specialty athletic store and online retailer based in Recklinghausen, Germany, for a total cash consideration of approximately $94 million. 

April 4, 2013
Weis Markets names marketing director

Weis Markets announced that Gretchen Suydan has joined the company as director of marketing.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets announced that Gretchen Suydan has joined the company as director of marketing. The company announced the promotions of Brian Bosworth to sales director and Maria Panko to private brands manager.

April 2, 2013
American Greetings to go private

American Greetings announced that it has agreed to be taken private by a group led by some of its top executives for about $602 million.

CLEVELAND — American Greetings announced that it has agreed to be taken private by a group led by some of its top executives for about $602 million.

The executive group was formed by the Weiss family — including chairman Morry Weiss; CEO Zev Weiss; director, president and COO Jeffrey Weiss and others — and will buy the shares of the company they don't already own for $18.20 a piece in cash. This amounts to a 13% premium to American Greetings' closing price of $16.10 last Thursday.

April 2, 2013
Private sales site Totsy names new CEO

Totsy, a leading private sale site of children's goods has named Lisa Kennedy as CEO.

NEW YORK — Totsy, a leading private sale site of children's goods has named Lisa Kennedy as CEO.

March 29, 2013
Study: Mass merchants target diverse consumer group with private label offerings

Walmart and Target are targeting multi-cultural and health-conscious consumers with their private-label products directed at multicultural and health-conscious consumers.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Walmart and Target are targeting multi-cultural and health-conscious consumers with their private-label products directed at multicultural and health-conscious consumers.

March 4, 2013
Supervalu restructures executive, banner leadership

Supervalu has named new leadership at the executive and banner retail level.

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu has named new leadership at the executive and banner retail level. According to the company, the move is part of its plans to move forward with a focus on serving wholesale grocery operators, growing its hard discount format and running a smaller, more efficient retail operation following the close of its previously announced transaction with AB Acquisition LLC. That transaction is expected to be completed the week of March 18.

February 28, 2013
Great For You! gathers momentum

A Walmart Neighborhood Market store in Springfield, Mo., was ground zero this week as the retailer showcased efforts to make food healthier and more affordable to First Lady Michelle Obama.

A Walmart Neighborhood Market store in Springfield, Mo., was ground zero Thursday as the retailer showcased efforts to make food healthier and more affordable to First Lady Michelle Obama.

Three years ago, the First Lady created the Let’s Move healthy food initiative and the following year Walmart unveiled five broad commitments that aligned with her vision for ending childhood obesity within a generation.

February 25, 2013
SymphonyIRI Group forecasts frugal future for CPG spending

The latest research from SymphonyIRI Group’s Times & Trends, “2012 CPG Year in Review: Finding the New Normal,” reveals that budget restraints are still causing consumers to remain frugal in 2013, despite signs of economic recovery.

CHICAGO — The latest research from SymphonyIRI Group’s Times & Trends, “2012 CPG Year in Review: Finding the New Normal,” reveals that budget restraints are still causing consumers to remain frugal in 2013, despite signs of economic recovery. 

February 21, 2013
CVS/pharmacy revamps private label products

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy is making some changes to its Gold Emblem food product line, including enhanced ingredients and new flavors, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

The line has been revamped with more options and a new look. Gold Emblem includes more than 250 products, such as nuts, trail mixes, chips, pretzels, dried candies, cookies, spices, juices, condiments, baking products and breakfast bars. CVS introduced it in 1995, making it one of the first private-label food lines created by a major drug store chain.

February 19, 2013
Capital One sells Best Buy credit card business to Citi

Capital One Financial Corp.has reached an agreement to sell the portfolio of Best Buy private label and co-branded credit card accounts, with current loan balances of approximately $7 billion, to Citi.

MCLEAN, Va. — Capital One Financial Corp.has reached an agreement to sell the portfolio of Best Buy private label and co-branded credit card accounts, with current loan balances of approximately $7 billion, to Citi. In addition, Capital One and Best Buy have agreed to end their contractual credit card relationship early.

February 14, 2013
Harris Teeter confirms reports of possible sale

Harris Teeter on Wednesday confirmed an earlier Wall Street Journal report that the grocer was in the process of exploring strategic options.

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Harris Teeter on Wednesday confirmed an earlier Wall Street Journal report that the grocer was in the process of exploring strategic options. 

February 13, 2013
GE renews credit card program with JCPenney

GE Capital Retail Bank, a consumer lending unit of General Electric Company (GE), has renewed its private label credit card program with JCPenney.

STAMFORD, Conn. -- GE Capital Retail Bank, a consumer lending unit of General Electric Company (GE), has renewed its private label credit card program with JCPenney.

The JCP consumer card program provides credit to millions of consumers who shop at more than 1,100 JCPenney stores in communities across the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as online at JCP.com. 

February 11, 2013
Study: Shoppers turn to dollar stores as payroll tax rises

Though a 2% increase in payroll tax may seem insignificant for middle- and upper-income families, it can cause a major change in shopping behavior for lower-income families, a new study has found.

CHICAGO — Though a 2% increase in payroll tax may seem insignificant for middle- and upper-income families, it can cause a major change in shopping behavior for lower-income families, a new study has found.

February 1, 2013
Perrigo buys another pet care company

Leading private label supplier Perrigo has acquired pet health company Velcera for $160 million.

Leading private label supplier Perrigo has acquired pet health company Velcera for $160 million.

The deal follows last fall’s acquisition of Sergeants and signals Perrigo’s intent to accelerate growth in areas beyond its traditional businesses of consumer health care, nutrition products and prescriptions. Velcera is a pet health company best known for is PetArmor brand of flea and tick products that are widely available at retailers nationwide, much to the chagrin of veterinarians. PetArmor’s had sales of $60 million last year.

January 17, 2013
Retailers, not politicians, can renew U.S. economy

Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon isn’t running for elected office, but he sure sounded like a politician earlier this week as he laid out a three-tiered plan the retail industry can implement to restore U.S. economic growth.

Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon isn’t running for elected office, but he sure sounded like a politician earlier this week as he laid out a three-tiered plan the retail industry can implement to restore U.S. economic growth.

January 10, 2013
Triad Retail Media acquired by private equity

Rockbridge Growth Equity has acquired Triad Retail Media, a 300 person digital retail media agency founded by former Procter & Gamble executive Greg Murtagh.

Rockbridge Growth Equity has acquired Triad Retail Media, a 300 person digital retail media agency founded by former Procter & Gamble executive Greg Murtagh.

The acquisition is expected to be transparent to Triad’s retail clients such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, eBay, Toys "R" Us and CVS, but is expected to bring to Triad new capabilities as it benefits from Rockbridge’s ownership interest in other companies.

January 10, 2013
Walgreens shares vision for 2013 and beyond

"[The year] 2012 was definitely an important year for Walgreens," Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, told shareholders here, at the Navy Pier, Wednesday afternoon, at the chain's annual shareholder meeting.

CHICAGO — "[The year] 2012 was definitely an important year for Walgreens," Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO, told shareholders here, at the Navy Pier, Wednesday afternoon, at the chain's annual shareholder meeting. "We did make some tough choices to protect and solidify … our position for the long term," he said. "[But] our vision is crystal clear to become the first choice for health and daily living in America."

January 10, 2013
Walmart joins health care efficiency program

Walmart has committed $670,000 to help fund a first-of-its-kind program in its home state known as the Arkansas Payment Improvement Initiative (APII).

Walmart has committed $670,000 to help fund a first-of-its-kind program in its home state known as the Arkansas Payment Improvement Initiative (APII).

January 9, 2013
Totsy teams up with Mamasource for online magic

Totsy, a leading private sale site aimed at parents, has grown its membership to five million and will expand its daily deal offerings with its acquisition of Mamasource, a leading daily deal site for moms.

NEW YORK — Totsy, a leading private sale site aimed at parents, has grown its membership to five million and will expand its daily deal offerings with its acquisition of Mamasource, a leading daily deal site for moms.

Headquartered in New York, Totsy is a privately held company that connects its members with essential products and brands designed for expecting moms, parents, babies and kids at sample sale prices. Mamasource is one of the largest mom focused community and commerce sites on the Internet, founded in 2005 and

January 7, 2013
Report: sale of Supervalu imminent

The breakup of Supervalu to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management could be announced as soon as Thursday when Supervalu shares third-quarter results with analysts, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal published Friday.

NEW YORK — The breakup of Supervalu to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management could be announced as soon as Thursday when Supervalu shares third-quarter results with analysts, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal published Friday.

Bloomberg also reported that a deal between Cerberus and Supervalu was imminent. According to that Bloomberg report, Cerberus would lead an investment of around $500 million in equity.

January 2, 2013
2013: Retail & CPG Industry Calendar of Events

Have an event relevant to the retail and CPG industry you would like to add? Send an email to Mtroy@LF.com. 

JANUARY

January 8-11: Consumer Electronics Association International CES show in Las Vegas. Visit www.cesweb.org.

January 13-16. The National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo in New York. Visit www.nrf.com/annual13

December 19, 2012
Crossmark gets private equity infusion

Warburg Pincus has acquired a majority ownership stake in Crossmark, a leading provider of sales and marketing services to retailers and suppliers.

Warburg Pincus has acquired a majority ownership stake in Crossmark, a leading provider of sales and marketing services to retailers and suppliers.

The companies said they entered into a definitive merger agreement whereby Warburg Pincus will make a majority investment of an undisclosed amount in Crossmark that allows for the management owners of the company to maintain a significant equity position and continue to actively lead the company after the transaction closes.

December 17, 2012
Staples COO Miles pursues new opportunity

Boston-based private equity firm Berkshire Partners named Staples president and COO Mike Miles to the role of advisory director.

Boston-based private equity firm Berkshire Partners named Staples president and COO Mike Miles to the role of advisory director.

Miles spent the past decade at Staples and his last day will be February 2, 2013. In his new capacity at Berkshire, Miles is tasked with sourcing new investment ideas and serving as an operating advisor to Berkshire’s portfolio of companies.

December 14, 2012
Private label, retail apparel brands distributor names new CEO

Broder Bros., a leading distributor of trade, private label and retail apparel brands and merchandise, has appointed Norman Hullinger as its new CEO.

TREVOSE, Pa. — Broder Bros., a leading distributor of trade, private label and retail apparel brands and merchandise, has appointed Norman Hullinger as its new CEO.

Hullinger has been with the company for the last decade, most recently as its COO.