Retail

Bloomberg Freight hauler XPO Logistics Inc. jumped the most two years after Recode reported that Home Depot Inc. is weighing a possible acquisition as part of a push to compete with Amazon.com Inc. The home-improvement retail giant has held internal discussions in recent months about making a bid, according to the report, which cited an unnamed person familiar with Home …

Bloomberg Phoebe Philo, the widely praised creative director of LVMH’s Celine label, is leaving her position in January, the company said. LVMH didn’t announce a successor in its emailed statement. Philo’s departure was well-telegraphed, with the trade publication Business of Fashion reporting in October that the luxury conglomerate was interviewing potential replacements. Still, the move is significant for Celine, which …

Bloomberg Nike Inc. shares fell the most in nine months after its North American sales slump worsened, overshadowing strong growth in other regions. The world’s largest sports brand posted quarterly sales that fell short of estimates in its home market, while beating them in Greater China and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The results show that Nike still faces …

Bloomberg Tencent Holdings Ltd. and JD.com Inc. will buy a slice of one of China’s largest online retailers for $863 million, forging an alliance to take on Alibaba in e-commerce and digital payments. The pair agreed to buy shares in US-listed Vipshop Holdings Ltd. at a premium of 55 percent to their previous close. The deal comes with a business …

Bloomberg Hershey Co. is near a $1.6 billion deal to buy Amplify Snack Brands Inc., according to CNBC, which cited unidentified sources familiar with the matter. The deal values Amplify at $12 a share, CNBC said, which would represent a 71 percent premium to Friday’s closing price of $7 a share. Amplify, based in Austin, Texas, has a market cap …

Bloomberg Forget Gucci and Rolex. Grocery stores, hair salons and tutoring centres may have the brightest future for Hong Kong retail as high-end malls get squeezed by forces beyond their control. That’s according to property consultants including Savills Plc, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. and CBRE Group Inc., who say that community shopping centres targeting local customers are better suited to …

Bloomberg ANA Holdings Inc. is attempting to set up a venture in Myanmar for the third time after previous efforts collapsed, as Japan’s largest carrier seeks to capture demand in one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies. “We’re going to find a new partner again,” Shinya Katanozaka, chief executive officer of ANA Holdings, said in an interview in Tokyo. “Even though this …

Bloomberg After a year to forget for British retailers, investors are betting some of the UK’s major chains now face a make-or-break holiday shopping season. Among those with the most at stake are department-store operators Debenhams Plc and House of Fraser Ltd., as well as fashion retailer New Look Retail Group Ltd., owned by embattled billionaire Christo Wiese. Despite Black …

Bloomberg Unilever agreed to sell its margarine and spreads business to KKR & Co. for $8.1 billion, ridding the Anglo-Dutch consumer-goods giant of one of its worst-performing units as it focusses on faster-growing food and personal-care niches. The private equity firm’s purchase of the division, whose brands include Flora and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, is the biggest leveraged …

Bloomberg The Trump administration is considering blocking planned sales by Boeing Co., Airbus SE and General Electric Co. to Iran, as the president reconsiders the 2015 deal to curb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme, a person familiar with the matter said. No recommendation has yet been made to President Donald Trump and his administration is also considering letting the sales …