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Lowe’s today announced further progress in its plans to acquire the majority of assets of Orchard Supply Hardware, including 72 stores, for approximately $205 million in cash, plus the assumption of payables owed to nearly all of Orchard’s supplier partners, subject to Bankruptcy Court approval.
No additional bids for Orchard Supply’s assets were received by the Aug. 9 bankruptcy court deadline. The transaction will be presented to the Bankruptcy Court for approval on Aug. 20, and Lowe’s anticipates completing the acquisition by the end of August.
Lowe’s plans to have Orchard Supply operate as a separate, standalone business, retaining its brand under the leadership of Orchard’s current management team and acquiring the Orchard locations most complementary to its current strategy and store footprint.
Once completed, the acquisition will enable Lowe’s to expand its presence in California and reach a new customer base through the addition of Orchard’s smaller-format stores in densely populated areas.
“Strategically, the transaction will provide Lowe’s with an attractive opportunity to increase our store footprint in California, where we are currently underpenetrated, through a neighborhood store format that is complementary to our strengths in big-box retail,” Lowe’s Chairman, President and CEO Robert Niblock said. “Orchard’s hardware and garden stores have a loyal customer base and are situated in high-density, prime locations that are difficult for larger format retailers to enter. We see significant potential for Orchard as a standalone business within Lowe’s portfolio, and we look forward to the opportunity to participate more fully in California’s economic recovery.”
