The running list of retail deals in 2026

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. However, 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.

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 on reports 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.