Though many retailers are struggling amid shifting consumer preferences and e-commerce gains, the value of retailers’ real estate has not been stymied by these challenges. Activist investors are calling for ailing retailers to go private or sell off their real estate assets before they, too, lose value.
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Hudson’s Bay Co., the Canadian owner of Lord & Taylor and Saks, was pressured this week to go private or sell its valuable property holdings by activist investor Land & Building Investment Management, which holds a 4.3% stake in the company. Hudson’s Bay stock has fallen 25% in the past few months amid talks of Macy’s and Neiman Marcus Group acquisitions. The company owns real estate that is roughly four times as valuable as its opening share price of $8.88, the New York Post reports.
Hudson’s Bay is not alone. McDonald’s, Macy’s, Ethan Allen and Darden Restaurants have been pressured to do the same since 2015, according to the Post. That was the year Sears sold 235 Sears and Kmart stores to Seritage in a sales-leaseback deal back for $2.7B in hopes of raising money. Since then even Warren Buffett has grabbed an 8% stake in the REIT.
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