The running list of retail deals in 2026

Editor's note: This tracker covers deals in 2026. To see deals from 2021 to 2025, click here.

Trends in retail dealmaking — from initial public offerings to M&A — help explain where the industry is in a variety of ways. They reveal sector-level insights, speak to the macroeconomic landscape and showcase changes in brand ownership.

M&A activity last year was the second-best on record in both global and North American markets, and retail was one of the high-activity industries, according to law firm Hunton. Take-private transactions and “selective” brand acquisitions are expected to continue this year, the firm said.

Across consumer markets, megadeals are supporting deal value, according to PwC, even as overall transactions are expected to decline this year.

“Macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical volatility, and persistent valuation gaps continue to weigh on confidence, extending deal timelines and driving discipline among buyers,” PwC wrote in June. “The market has not stalled, but it is diverging more sharply between the assets that attract strong buyer interest and those that struggle to find bidders.”

In the first quarter of 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission tracked 99 IPOs across industries, up roughly 18% from the year prior. Proceeds from IPOs jumped 86%, per that report. But retail IPOs made up just a small portion of that total — 1.5%, entirely from the IPO of Bob’s Discount Furniture.

“The IPO market is reopening, but in a way that favors speed, flexibility and select issuers rather than broad-based participation,” FTI Consulting said in a report in May.

Below, we break down the major deals across the retail industry this year. Check back regularly for updates.

Reformation filed for a proposed initial public offering, with plans to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “REF.” The number of shares to be offered and the price range was not initially provided.

The womenswear brand’s S-1 form revealed a net revenue of about $507 million and a $12.6 million net income for 2025.

Walmart agreed to acquire connected TV advertising platform Vibe.co, with the deal expected to close by the end of fiscal year 2027. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and Walmart declined to comment to Retail Dive on The Wall Street Journal’s reporting that the retailer is paying $1.4 billion for Vibe.co.

Vibe.co CEO Arthur Querou and CTO Franck Tetzlaff — who are also co-founders — are expected to join Walmart Connect along with the broader Vibe.co team. The deal is intended to advance Walmart’s full-funnel advertising strategy through Walmart Connect.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. agreed to acquire real estate services platform Fathom Holdings in an all-stock transaction implying an equity value of about $53 million. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026 pending certain approvals.

The Fathom deal helps Bed Bath & Beyond with the “Homeownership & Transactions” pillar of the retailer’s vision, with the real estate company’s operations covering brokerage, mortgage, title, insurance and more.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. will acquire Installed Right and SFV Services in a transaction consisting of Bed Bath & Beyond common stock. The deal is expected to close by the end of June.

Installed Right focuses on the installation of products — such as closets and flooring — while SFV Services specializes in renovation, construction, demolition and more.

Apparel brand Everlane, a direct-to-consumer company pledging “radical transparency,” shocked many customers and observers with the May 22 confirmation of a deal with Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein. Financial details were not disclosed.

Everlane CEO Alfred Chang positioned the move as allowing Everlane to enter its next phase. Many analysts see it as a financial reprieve for the DTC label that serves to help Shein burnish its environmental reputation. Shein hasn’t commented on the announcement.

Denim label Lee has joined other iconic brands in the intellectual property stable of Authentic Brands Group. In a deal expected to close later this year, the brand-management firm acquired the IP from Kontoor Brands, which also runs Wrangler and Norwegian outdoor brand Helly Hansen.

Authentic, which will pay up to $1 billion for the jeans brand, said it is already looking for an operator to license the Lee name.

Marquee Brands announced a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.

Damac Group will remain a strategic partner. The Level Group will act as the brand’s core operating partner and will oversee women’s and men’s collections, along with handbags and footwear across Europe and the U.S.

Roberto Cavalli joins sister brands BCBG, A Pea in the Pod, Destination Maternity, Martha Stewart and Sur La Table, among others.

After almost 30 years under the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton umbrella, Marc Jacobs is being acquired by WHP Global. The companies have entered into a definitive agreement, and the terms of the deal were not disclosed. G-III Apparel Group will partner with WHP Global in owning the brand.

Designer Marc Jacobs will remain in his role as founder and creative director of the brand.

Marc Jacobs joins the WHP Global portfolio, which also includes Toys R Us, Lands’ End, Babies R Us, Express, Rag & Bone and Vera Wang, among other brands.

Mattress giant Somnigroup International – formed last year when Tempur Sealy acquired retailer Mattress Firm for $5 billion – will acquire one of its longtime vendors, Leggett & Platt.

Somnigroup has agreed to acquire the 140-year-old manufacturer of mattresses and other goods via an all-stock transaction valued at about $2.5 billion. Leggett & Platt has been a Somnigroup supplier for about 50 years, and the plan is for it to continue operating as a separate business.

The deal, hailed by most analysts as beneficial to Somnigroup, is expected to close by the end of the year.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. in April signed a letter of intent to acquire “the equity interests and substantially all assets” of Cabinets To Go and Lumber Liquidators owner and operator, F9 Brands Inc. The F9 Brands portfolio also includes Gracious Home / Thos. Baker and Southwind Building Products.

The deal is expected to close after Bed Bath & Beyond’s annual meeting in May and has an anticipated purchase price of about $150 million.

Bed Bath & Beyond in April agreed to acquire The Container Store for about $150 million in stock and convertible notes. As part of the deal, The Container Store’s locations will be rebranded as “The Container Store / Bed Bath and Beyond.” Home services at these locations will expand to include flooring, lighting, kitchen, laundry room and bathroom cabinetry.

In late 2024, the two retailers came close to forging a strategic partnership, as Bed Bath & Beyond contemplated a $40 million investment for a 40% stake in the organization retailer. When that didn’t materialize, The Container Store ended up in bankruptcy in late 2024, exiting about a month later.

Japan-based Wacoal International Corporation agreed to acquire Glamorise Foundations for an undisclosed amount.

The deal is intended to strengthen Wacoal’s position in the U.S. market, as well as build out its DTC and e-commerce operations. The move also enhances the company’s product development capabilities within the larger band and cup size segment.

American Exchange Group in March snapped up Allbirds for $39 million, far below Allbirds lofty valuations through the last 10 years. The sale is expected to close in Q2 and puts Allbirds in the same portfolio as White Mountain and Aerosoles, among others.

The day after the companies announced their agreement, Allbirds filed its annual report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In it the footwear brand said it hasn’t been profitable since its founding and doesn’t expect to be any time soon. Allbirds closed all of its U.S. full-price stores in the weeks leading up to the announcement — the bulk of its brick-and-mortar footprint.

Hair care brand Olaplex has inked a deal to be acquired by Germany-based Henkel for about $1.4 billion. The deal is expected to close as early as the second half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Upon closing of the deal, Advent International — Olaplex’s majority shareholder — will exit its investment in the company.

“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished and look forward to accelerating our product innovation, expanding our reach and continuing to deliver results for our Pro partners and customers around the world as part of the Henkel platform,” Olaplex CEO Amanda Baldwin said in a statement.

The move also builds out Henkel’s premium hair care offering, which also includes Joico, Kenra, and Schwarzkopf.

May 11, 2026

SRS Distribution closed on its acquisition of Mingledorff’s in May. The deal augments the Home Depot’s offerings for the pro customer demographic, a key growth segment for the home improvement retailer.

March 24, 2026

The Home Depot subsidiary SRS Distribution announced it would purchase HVAC distributor Mingledorff’s for an undisclosed amount.The deal is expected to close in Q2, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Home Depot, which bought SRS in 2024, has been using the subsidiary to purchase other businesses geared at professionals. Mingledorff’s operates in the southeastern U.S. and serves residential and commercial customers through 42 locations. The company’s senior leadership team will remain in place under SRS.

“The momentum we’ve seen in the SRS business is a testament to its strong customer value proposition and execution,” Home Depot CEO Ted Decker said in a statement. “SRS is a growth engine for The Home Depot, and we continue to drive significant synergies that enable us to bring more innovation and value to our Pro customers.”

Fast fashion retailer Aritzia acquired the Fred Segal brand and leased its flagship destination in Los Angeles, the companies announced in February. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Aritzia will restore the flagship Fred Segal store on Melrose Avenue. The acquisition was made as part of an expansion of Aritzia’s Everyday Luxury plan to offer beautiful apparel in inspirational spaces.

“Fred Segal has long been a cultural touchstone in Los Angeles — a place where creativity, community and style converge,” Jennifer Wong, CEO of Aritzia, said in a statement. “We are honoured to steward and evolve this iconic brand for a new generation with the elevated experience and Everyday Luxury that define Aritzia.”

Restructuring firm Gordon Brothers on Feb. 19 announced it acquired Chinese Laundry and its footwear portfolio for an undisclosed amount.

Chinese Laundry was founded in 1971 in Los Angeles, and the company now also includes Dirty Laundry, CL by Laundry and 42 Gold.

Gordon Brothers also owns the intellectual property of Rachel Zoe, Laura Ashley, LK Bennett and Nicole Miller. Its expansion plans for Chinese Laundry include marketing and licensing-based distribution.

Less than five years after buying Depop for more than $1.6 billion, Etsy has agreed to sell the U.K. apparel resale site to eBay for $1.2 billion, the marketplaces announced Feb. 18. The deal is expected to close in Q2.

Under Etsy’s ownership, Depop’s U.S. sales grew more than 60% in 2025, and the market is now the site’s largest. But the business has been a drag on Etsy’s adjusted EBITDA margins, siphoning 350 basis points in 2025.

At eBay, Depop buyers and sellers will have access to various services and the site will benefit from “technology, investment, and infrastructure that it sometimes lacked when it was part of Etsy,” GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders said of the proposed transaction.

“Adding Depop is very accretive to eBay,” he also said, as long as the marketplace giant continues to run Depop as an independent site.

Private equity firm Skyline Investors Feb. 3 said it acquired Buddy’s Home Furnishings for an undisclosed amount. The rent-to-own retailer sells furniture, appliances and home goods, and has more than 220 locations across 18 states and in Guam.

Buddy’s was the last remaining banner in Franchise Group’s portfolio.

The franchise conglomerate exited Chapter 11 in 2025, having sold The Vitamin Shoppe to private equity and shut down its American Freight banner during the bankruptcy. At the end of last year, Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash announced they were separating from Franchise Group.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. in February agreed to acquire Tokens.com in an effort to develop a blockchain-based investment and personal finance platform. A purchase price for the deal was not disclosed. The platform is expected to be developed by July pending closing conditions.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. will wholly own Tokens.com and said this platform will be “a one-stop journey for real estate and other real-world asset finance” that includes tokenized investing.

Anta Sports on Jan. 27 announced a deal to grab a 29% stake in Puma for $1.8 billion. The Chinese sports giant is taking over from Groupe Artémis, the investment company of the Pinault family, which acquired a 29% stake in Puma from Kering in 2018.

Puma has struggled lately but is in the midst of a turnaround, with fresh leadership. Anta Sports Board Chairman Ding Shizhong expressed confidence in that team and hailed Puma as “an iconic global brand with substantial heritage.”

The deal, expected to close by the end of the year, will make Anta Sports Puma’s largest shareholder. Anta Sports’ portfolio includes its namesake brand, Fila, Descente, Kolon Sport, Maia Active and Jack Wolfskin. Anta Sports is also a majority shareholder in Amer Sports.

Lands’ End and WHP Global on Jan. 26 said they are forming a joint venture, with the brand management firm paying $300 million in cash to acquire a 50% controlling stake in the apparel brand.

WHP will receive all Lands’ End intellectual property and related assets, including its licensing business, while Land’s End will be in charge of its direct-to-consumer and business-to-business operations.

Authentic Brands Group paid $16.75 per share for a controlling stake in the Guess brand’s intellectual property, according to financial filings from Jan. 23. With the transaction closed, Guess is no longer a public company.

Existing Guess shareholders – Maurice Marciano, Paul Marciano, Nicolai Marciano and Carlos Alberini and various financial affiliates – own 49% of the IP. Plus, they also own 100% of the operating company and will continue to run that business, based in Switzerland.

Bob’s Discount Furniture filed for an initial public offering in January, seeking to pay off debt.

Ahead of its public market debut, the furniture retailer was eyeing a valuation of up to $2.48 billion as it sought to price its common stock between $17 and $19 per share.

Bob’s officially debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in early February at $17 per share.

The company, which runs around 200 stores in 26 states, said in its S-1 filing that it aims to operate over 500 stores by 2035.