February 4, 2010
Ron Burkle is Busy Looking to Buy
FROM RETAILWIRE:
Ron Burkle and his Yucaipa Cos. have stakes in quite a number of retailers. Recently, he has been making headlines as he has sought to buy bigger stakes in Barneys and Barnes & Noble. What do you read into Ron Burkle's push to gain greater share of Barnes & Noble and Barneys?
MY COMMENTARY:
The recent trend toward partial ownership (Iconix with Ed Hardy, Best Buy's partial investments in various platforms launched by others) makes me nervous. For retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Barneys, I'd like to see Mr. Burkle go all in and work some magic. Barneys past deals have felt more like vanity plays, so for them in particular, it would seem to be time to get serious about taking the venerable brand to the next level.
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