Salesforce is set to notch another major acquisition, slated to purchase Informatica for $8 billion in equity value.

Shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods fell about 15% on Thursday on news of its blockbuster deal to acquire Foot Locker. Do you see more potential benefits than risks in Dick’s Sporting Goods acquiring Foot Locker?

7-Eleven’s parent company and Alimentation Couche-Tard appear to be inching closer to a merger agreement.

Frontier Airlines has proposed a merger with embattled competitor Spirit.

Getty Images and Shutterstock announce a planned merger worth $3.7 billion.

Party Products LLC has acquired the global rights to the Tupperware name.

After agreeing to a merger deal in September, DirecTV is no longer interested in Dish Network.

A proposed merger between Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, and Capri Holdings, owner of Michael Kors, has been halted by a federal judge.

Orangetheory Fitness and Self Esteem Brands have announced their intention to merge. How will this merger reshape franchising, personalized wellness solutions, and global market penetration in the fitness industry?

Dick’s Sporting Goods is acquiring Moosejaw from Walmart. The sporting goods giant made the deal to advance its ambitions in the multibillion-dollar outdoor retail market. How do you expect Dick’s to manage the Moosejaw business?

Amy Hauk is stepping down as CEO of Victoria’s Secret on March 31 after having just been named to lead the lingerie giant in July. Do you expect that Amy Hauk’s planned departure will have an effect on the Victoria’s Secret or PINK businesses?

Express is one of many apparel brands struggling to find new relevance without the draw they once enjoyed during the heyday of the shopping mall. Now the brand is entering into a partnership with a company known for its work recently reviving another iconic retailer. What will it take to reinvigorate Express?

A columnist at The Wall Street Journal has found some “nits to pick” with Kroger following the grocery giant’s release of its third quarter earnings results and its recent deal to merge with Albertsons, including a lack of progress by Kroger on the digital front. How do Kroger’s digital operations stand up to its competitors in the grocery space?

Some market watchers see the biggest benefit from the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons being the extended geographic reach and consumer data access that could help Kroger capitalize on the burgeoning retail media opportunity. What would the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons mean for the retail media space?

Lowe’s is looking to simplify. The home improvement retailer last week disclosed that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Canadian operations to the private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $400 million in cash and future performance-based considerations. What do you see as Lowe’s strengths and weaknesses over the next year and beyond?

Victoria’s Secret & Co. (VS&Co.) has agreed to buy Adore Me, the digital-first intimates brands, for $400 million. The acquisition is expected to provide a technology boost, a new growth vehicle and perhaps some goodwill.  Is the Adore Me acquisition a good fit for Victoria’s Secret & Co.?

Kroger and Albertsons have agreed on a deal that will combine the first and second largest supermarket operators in the U.S. The deal valued at $24.6 billion will see Kroger pay $34.10 a share for Albertsons’ stock, which closed at $28.63, CNBC reports. How will the Kroger/Albertsons merger affect the competitiveness of the two companies?

CVS on Monday said it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Signify Health in an all-cash deal valued at around $8 billion. Do you see the move into primary and other forms of healthcare significantly changing the drugstore business over the next decade?

Amazon last week said it would stop offering its Amazon Care in-person and virtual health service at the year’s close, signaling a major reset amid its pending purchase of a line of primary care clinics. What do you think is behind Amazon’s decision to shutter Amazon Care?

CVS has arguably been the driving force behind America’s acceptance of health clinics in retail stores. Now, the chain is looking to take the next step with retail clinics staffed by doctors. Do you think CVS will be able to acquire and scale a primary care provider quickly enough to catch up with Walgreens’ VillageMD rollout?

Amazon yesterday said that it has reached a deal to acquire One Medical, a “technology-powered national primary care organization” that combines in-person, digital and telehealth services to care for patients. What do you think of the retailer-led pushes into primary healthcare?

Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum, Jason Buechel said one of his goals as the next CEO of Whole Foods Market is “to reconnect to many parts of our heritage as a company.” What advice would you have for Jason Buechel as he prepares to take over as CEO of Whole Foods?

Franchise Group’s plan to acquire Kohl’s is similar to previous deals in retail that saw companies such as Mervyn’s, Shopko and Toys”R”Us saddled with debt and selling off assets before eventually failing, reports The Wall Street Journal.  Do you think that Franchise Group is the right company to acquire Kohl’s?

Shopify is often seen as an alternative for independent sellers frustrated with Fulfillment by Amazon’s changing inventory rules and increasing seller costs. Will acquiring Deliverr potentially make Shopify a more serious competitor to Amazon relative to fulfillment and inventory management?

Kohl’s is losing two key executives at a time when the retailer is pursuing a sale and facing ongoing pressure from activist investors. Do you see the departures of c-suite executives as a sign of bigger problems at Kohl’s?

Kohl’s shareholders in a vote yesterday rejected a bid by the activist investor Macellum Advisors to replace up to 10 of the retailer’s 13 board directors. Should Kohl’s board consider any criteria other than the highest offer in selecting a new owner?

Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners, co-owners of  JCPenney, have joined a growing list of bidders looking to acquire Kohl’s. Would Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Group make better owners than some of the others rumored to have an interest in acquiring the chain?

Victoria’s Secret said last week that it has acquired a minority interest in Frankies Bikinis, a women-founded and led beachwear and lifestyle brand.  What do you expect Victoria’s Secret to get from its investment in Frankies Bikinis?

Amazon and Nike are reportedly exploring separate bids for Peloton, the beleaguered leader in internet-connected bikes and treadmills.  Would a Peloton purchase make more sense for Amazon, Nike or neither?

Kohl’s has received an unsolicited acquisition offer of $9 billion from a group led by an activist hedge fund, according to a report. There is a high likelihood that this bid will lead others to place offers on the table. Would Kohl’s benefit from a sale/leaseback of its real estate assets or from spinning off its e-commerce business?

The Container Store has acquired Closet Works, a closet organization company, for $21.5 million.  Do you expect other retailers and consumer direct brands to bring manufacturing sources closer to the U.S. after the experience of the past two years?

Toys “R” Us has a new owner and is taking another shot at establishing a presence in the U.S. WHP Global, the parent company of the retailer, will open a new two-story flagship store in mid-December inside the American Dream megamall in New Jersey. Will Toys “R” Us achieve success with its American Dream flagship store and its Macy’s partnership?

The activist investor Mantle Ridge has taken a $1.8 billion stake in Dollar Tree and is focused on shoring up what the firm and others see as the company’s weak link — Family Dollar.  Why is Family Dollar underperforming, in your view?

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) will acquire Quiet Logistics in a $350 million cash deal, another step in a strategy to gain greater control over its supply chain. What roles do you see the acquisitions of AirTerra and Quiet Logistics playing in AEO’s supply chain strategy?

Multiple outlets last week posted stories indicating PayPal was in advanced talks to acquire Pinterest to transform itself into a social commerce powerhouse. On Monday morning, however, PayPal issued a brief statement clarifying that the company is “not pursuing an acquisition of Pinterest at this time.” Would the merger of PayPal and Pinterest have made sense?

Thrasio, the largest aggregator of third-party Amazon.com marketplace sellers, last week announced its three largest acquisitions ever and more deals in the works.  Do you see the trend toward third-party Amazon marketplace roll-ups gaining more momentum, slowing or imploding in the coming year?

American Eagle Outfitters has acquired AirTerra, a logistics startup which has developed a shipper aggregator system it claims will not only deliver packages to businesses more quickly but do so with greater reliability and less cost. How do you see American Eagle Outfitters and its various retail businesses leveraging AirTerra’s service?

Reebok is getting another chance to recapture its past glory under new ownership by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) after nearly 15 years of floundering under Adidas. How should Reebok be repositioned for growth under ABG’s ownership?

Wolverine Worldwide last week acquired Sweaty Betty and Levi Strauss agreed to purchase Beyond Yoga as both enter the burgeoning women’s activewear category. Do the acquisitions of Sweaty Betty by Wolverine Worldwide and Beyond Yoga by Levi Strauss make strategic sense?

When the Federated Department Stores’ merger with May Department Stores was announced, the deal’s promise was pitched to Wall Street with one word: Big.  To what degree can Macy’s struggles be linked back to the decision to consolidate regional nameplates under one national banner and shift away from local buying?

In the initial public offering prospectus for Authentic Brands Group, Jamie Salter, founder and CEO, describes how he came up with his company’s licensing platform that “deconstructs and reconstructs” the traditional brand building model. Does Authentic Brands Group’s licensing model better set up brands to pursue digital and global growth than traditional models?

E-grocery and restaurant delivery use experienced an unprecedented spike with the start of the pandemic. But as the economy reopens, some are asking if the investment in food delivery fulfillment is a bubble waiting to burst. Do you think the potential growth and investment opportunities for grocery and restaurant delivery companies has been over-hyped due to the pandemic?

In a seemingly unusual pairing, Etsy, the online crafts marketplace, last week reached an agreement to acquire Depop, a go-to fashion resale marketplace for Gen-Z, for $1.6 billion. What does Depop offer to Etsy and vice versa?

Foot Locker last week announced plans to close its Footaction chain, citing an overlap with its flagship property and other stores. Will the decision to close Footaction ultimately prove to be the right or wrong one for Foot Locker?

Grupo Comercial Chedraui, Mexico’s third-largest retailer and the largest Hispanic grocery store operator in the U.S., has reached an agreement to acquire Smart & Final, which operates “smaller, faster” warehouse stores across California, Arizona and Nevada. What do you think of the competitive positioning and growth potential for the Smart & Final concept?

J.C. Penney is moving in the right direction, but it is still a work in progress. That’s the assessment of David Simon, CEO of Simon Property Group, the co-owner of the department store chain, as told to analysts on an earnings call this week. Do you agree with David Simon that J.C. Penney is now in a position to focus on growing its business?

Authentic Brands Group (ABG) and Simon Property Group have teamed up again, this time to acquire Eddie Bauer.  Will the acquisition of Eddie Bauer by Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group strengthen the retailer going forward?

Harry’s, after seeing its acquisition by Edgewell fall apart just before the pandemic, raised $155 million in new funding with plans to build a suite of consumer packaged goods companies.  Is Harry’s Labs better positioned to take emerging DTC brands to the next level than big conglomerates?

Walmart’s interest in TikTok continues. The retailer worked with the video platform in December and the test went well enough that it has planned a return performance to host an hour-long livestream event. What is your assessment of the relationship that Walmart has developed with TikTok?

Amazon.com reached a deal last month to acquire Selz, an online platform provider that helps small and medium size businesses create and operate online sites.  In what ways do you think Amazon is likely to respond to Shopify?