There were at least 28 online retail acquisitions in 2019. Of these, 12 are Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000 retailers that acquired new brands, and 19 are Top or Next 1000 retailers or brands that were acquired last year. Five Top 1000 retailers acquired other Top 1000 or Next 1000 retailers, and two retailers acquired more than one brand. Thirteen retailers disclosed sale price of these acquisitions, totaling $18.43 billion. Retail chains and consumer brand manufacturers were the merchant types most acquired.
The largest acquisition last year was Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy’s (LVMH; No. 20 in the Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000) purchase of Tiffany & Co. (No. 179) for $16.2 billion in late November 2019. Other retailers that acquired Top 1000 merchants include designer handbags and apparel company Vera Bradley (No. 482) purchasing Pura Vida Bracelets (No. 744) and The Children’s Place (No. 114) rescuing Gymboree (No. 601) out of bankruptcy.