CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Belk, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a stock purchase agreement with Saks Incorporated (NYSE:SKS) to acquire 38 Parisian department stores with locations in nine states in the Southeast and Midwest. Two new Parisian stores are scheduled to open in fall 2006. Upon completion of the transaction, which has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, Belk, Inc. will operate a total of 315 stores in 19 states.
"This is another excellent opportunity for Belk to expand its store base and further strengthen our market leadership in Alabama and other key markets within our existing footprint," said Tim Belk, chairman and CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk, Inc. "Just as with the earlier purchase of the Proffitt's and McRae's stores from Saks, the Parisian stores are located in great markets and are similar to Belk in many ways. Parisian is known and respected for offerings of top fashion brands and excellent customer and community service." Belk will pay $285 million for the ownership of the Parisian stores and will assume operating leases of leased store locations. The stores generated a combined total sales volume last year of approximately $723 million. The transaction is scheduled to close on October 2, 2006, and is subject to regulatory review and other closing conditions.
The integration of the stores is expected to take approximately 18 months, and the company plans to re-brand the acquired stores as Belk in the third quarter of 2007.
Belk will enter into a transition services agreement with Saks Incorporated to provide certain support services for the acquired Parisian stores, including information technology, credit services and other back- office functions for a limited period of time. The company will continue to operate the Parisian corporate offices and distribution center for a transition period anticipated through March 2007. During that time, associates in these locations will either be offered positions with Belk or will be given appropriate severance packages.
Belk was advised in the transaction by Wachovia Securities.
The Parisian stores to be acquired by Belk are located in: Alabama - Birmingham (2 stores), Decatur, Dothan, Florence, Gadsden, Homewood, Hoover, Huntsville (2 stores), Mobile, Montgomery, Trussville (opening fall 2006), Tuscaloosa; Arkansas - Little Rock (opening fall 2006); Florida - Jacksonville, Pensacola, Tallahassee; Georgia - Alpharetta, Atlanta (2 stores), Columbus, Douglasville, Duluth, Kennesaw, Lithonia, Macon; Indiana - Indianapolis (2 stores); Michigan - Livonia, Rochester Hills; Mississippi - Tupelo; Ohio - Beavercreek, Cincinnati; South Carolina - Charleston, Columbia; Tennessee - Chattanooga, Collierville, Franklin, Knoxville.
Belk purchased 47 Proffitt's and McRae's department stores from Saks Incorporated in July 2005, and subsequently converted and re-branded 38 of these stores to Belk in March 2006.
About Belk, Inc.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk, Inc. is the nation's largest privately-owned department store company with 277 stores located in 16 states in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions and fiscal 2006 sales of $2.97 billion. Founded by William Henry Belk in 1888 in Monroe, N.C., the company is now in its third generation of Belk family leadership.
Notes: Certain statements made in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events and developments and the Company's future performance, as well as our expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as "may," "will," "intend," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "continue," or other similar words. Certain risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to differ significantly from the results we discuss in our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: our ability to execute our growth and expansion plans; our ability to successfully integrate the Proffitt's and McRae's department stores acquired from Saks Incorporated; changes in interest rates; changes in buying, charging and payment behavior among our customers; changes in the competitive environment of the department store and broader retail industry; the effectiveness of our merchandising and sales promotion strategies; seasonal fluctuations in sales and net income; our ability to contain costs and fully realize synergies from our operational consolidations; and changes in accounting standards or legal regulatory matters.
For additional information on these and other risk factors, see the section captioned "This Report Contains Forward-Looking Statements" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2006 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, even if future events or new information may impact the validity of such statements.
Size
City Mall/Shopping Center (Gross sq. ft.)
Alabama
Birmingham The Summit 114,500
Downtown AmSouth/Harbert Plaza 21,500
Decatur Colonial Mall - Decatur 90,300
Dothan Wiregrass Commons Mall 160,430
Florence Regency Square 90,290
Gadsden Colonial Mall - Gadsden 90,000
Homewood Colonial Brookwood Village 107,416
Hoover Riverchase Galleria 200,000
Huntsville Parkway Place Mall 167,256
Madison Square Mall 115,000
Mobile Colonial Mall - Bel Air 122,500
Montgomery Eastdale Mall 129,671
Trussville Colonial Pinnacle at Tutwiler Farm 100,794
(Opens fall 2006)
Tuscaloosa University Mall 174,922 Arkansas
Little Rock Pleasant Ridge Town Center 120,000
(Opens fall 2006) Florida
Jacksonville The Avenues 118,300
Pensacola Cordova Mall 75,000
Tallahassee Tallahassee Mall 115,000 Georgia
Alpharetta North Point Mall 87,407
Atlanta Northlake Mall 103,000
Phipps Plaza 170,000
Columbus Peachtree Mall 87,600
Douglasville Arbor Place 142,550
Duluth Gwinnett Place 128,000
Kennesaw Towne Center at Cobb 131,000
Lithonia The Mall at Stonecrest 145,974
Macon Colonial Mall - Macon 105,000 Indiana
Indianapolis Fashion Mall at Keystone 128,000
at the Crossing
Circle Centre 143,000 Michigan
Livonia Laurel Park Place 145,800
Rochester Hills The Village of Rochester Hills 122,276 Mississippi
Tupelo The Mall at Barnes Crossing 84,000 Ohio
Beavercreek The Mall at Fairfield Commons 130,000
Cincinnati Kenwood Towne Centre 147,500 South Carolina
Charleston Citadel Mall 129,000
Columbia Richland Fashion Mall 100,000 Tennessee
Chattanooga Hamilton Place 92,500
Collierville The Avenue - Carriage Crossing 129,960
Franklin Cool Springs Galleria 132,000
Knoxville West Town Mall 143,900
DATASOURCE: Belk, Inc.
CONTACT: Steve Pernotto of Belk, Inc., +1-704-426-1890, or
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