U.S. department store operator Kohl’s is looking at a possible acquisition of At Home, a U.S. home décor retail chain in near future. According to people familiar with the matter, Kohl recently approached At Home with an interest in acquiring the company.
However, the deal is far from fruition and is only in its preliminary stage. But if it goes through, it will help Kohl's increase its visibility in the home goods category. Currently, Kohl’s focus is mainly on women’s, men’s and children’s clothing with little presence in the home goods category that accounts for only a small part of its overall business.
On the other hand, At Home has also been exploring a sale and is already in advanced negotiation stage with private equity firms like Hellman & Friedman. So, Kohl’s goal of acquiring At Home may not finally materialize and the latter may choose to sell to a buyout firm instead.
Currently, At Home has a market capitalization of $1.3 billion. On Wednesday, Kohl’s stock plunged nearly 2% while shares of At Home rose more than 7% during the day.