Retail holding company Franchise Group is weighing lowering its bid for Kohl’s to closer to $50 per share from about $60, according to a person familiar with the deal talks.
Kohl’s shares closed down nearly 9% on Wednesday at $38.61 per share. They traded as low as $34.64 in late May. Franchise Group shares ended the day up about 1% at $36.08 per share.
Franchise Group, owner of The Vitamin Shoppe and other retailers, is actively considering whether buying Kohl’s is the best use case of Franchise Group’s capital, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous since the conversations are private and ongoing. The company is growing concerned that the environment for certain retailers could become bleaker from here, particularly if the U.S. were to enter a recession, the person said.
Source: CNBC