Retail

Bloomberg Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc surged above the value of Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC’s 5.5 billion-pound ($7.6 billion) bid, indicating the private equity firm may have to pay significantly more or fend off rival offers for Britain’s fourth-largest grocer. The supermarket operator, which employs close to 110,000 people in Britain, has already rejected the 230 pence-a-share proposal that was …

Bloomberg The CEO of Tag Heuer — the maker of luxury watches beloved by athletes — expects sales to recover to 2019 levels this year after last year’s pandemic shock. The forecast of the brand owned by luxury group LVMH comes as the industry became more polarised amid lockdowns last year. The largest privately-owned timepiece brands such as Rolex outperformed, …

Bloomberg Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc rejected as undervalued an unsolicited proposal from US buyout firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC that valued the UK grocery chain at about 5.5 billion pounds ($7.6 billion). Morrison received a proposed cash offer at 230 pence a share on June 14 and rejected it three days later after discussions with its adviser Rothschild & …

Bloomberg Ocado Group Plc lost the latest court clash with rival AutoStore Technology AG after a London judge refused to grant an injunction that would stop the use of certain information in a separate US patent infringement case. In an increasingly bitter dispute between the two companies that both provide automated grocery delivery systems, online grocer Ocado sought to restrain …

Bloomberg The billionaire dynasty behind Selfridges & Co is considering a 4 billion-pound ($5.66 billion) sale of the British department store group following an approach from a potential buyer. The Weston family has asked Credit Suisse to advise on the future of the business, which includes the flagship emporium on London’s Oxford Street and stores operating under other names in …

Bloomberg Jewellery maker Alex and Ani LLC, which operates dozens of stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and put itself up for sale. The company said it entered into a restructuring agreement with debt and equity holders as it works to reorganise and boost its online and wholesale businesses. The retailer expects “little to no disruption” in operations. Alex …

Bloomberg McDonald’s Corp said hackers accessed some customer data in South Korea and Taiwan, adding the fast-food chain to the growing list of companies grappling with cyberattacks in recent weeks. After discovering unauthorised activity on its network, the company determined that “a small number of files were accessed, some of which contained personal data,” according to an emailed statement. The …

Bloomberg E-commerce fashion retailer About You AG and its shareholders are seeking as much as 941 million euros ($1.1 billion) in a Frankfurt initial public offering, betting that demand for its party outfits will ramp up as night life unlocks. Shares are being marketed at 21 euros to 26 euros apiece through June 14, with the new stock set to …

Bloomberg Reckitt Benckiser Group has agreed to sell its Chinese baby formula business to Primavera Capital Group in a deal with $2.2 billion enterprise value. Reckitt will retain an 8% stake and sees net cash proceeds of about $1.3 billion, which the company plans to use to reduce debt. The household products maker expects to record a net loss of …

Bloomberg Thousands of female Tesco Plc workers in the UK were handed a post-Brexit boost after the European Union’s top court said the bloc’s rules on equal pay for equal work can be invoked in supermarket pay cases. The UK’s largest retailer lost a ruling, which allows EU law to be taken into account when determining if predominantly female shop …