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Diving into Retail I (M&A'ing Like a Boss)

With Walmart's rumored acquisition of Bonobos, perhaps we can finally do away with the narrative that these fashion startups will alleviate some of the brick-and-mortar vacancy. Walmart isn't buying Bonobos for its 31 "guideshops"; it is buying Bonobos because it needs to increase its e-commerce skillset and acquire a different demographic of shopper than the typical Walmart shopper. Or, we could be wrong: perhaps with Walmart's resources behind it, Bonobos will, in fact, be able to open more guideshops. But will they be independent of Walmart, or within Walmart? So many questions. And here's another one: if brick-and-mortar retailers continue to go the way of the showroom, which suppliers get hammered? Paper (shopping bag) producers? Meanwhile, speaking of bargain shopping at places like Walmart, it appears that Neiman Marcus shoppers are now getting price conscious too: it's amazing what comparative information at your fingertips can do.