By Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Marc Cooper As warmer weather returns and we adjust our thermostats, I sat down with Head of Business Services Group Tim Shea to discuss M&A trends in essential service sectors. Tim, your team had a record year of deal activity in 2025. What’s been driving the strength of essential…
Subscribe Episode Description In this episode of Solomon Connects , Solomon Partners’ Head of Financial Sponsors Sash Rentala joins M&A Director Chris Moynihan to discuss the evolving M&A landscape amid elevated rates, macro uncertainty, and supply‑demand imbalance for assets. They explore why A‑quality assets continue to trade, what’s holding back broader exit activity, and how…
By CEO Marc Cooper David Shiffman joined the firm in May 2012 and, in addition to continuing as Co-Head of the Consumer Retail Group, he was recently promoted to Head of Investment Banking. We talked about how the role strengthens coordination and senior oversight for clients—and how it supports Solomon’s next generation of bankers. Those…
Optimistic Outlook for the Auto Aftermarket, Yet Headwinds Remain. Here’s What to Know. We enter 2026 with healthy optimism for the automotive aftermarket sector given the combination of resilient consumer health and easing interest rates, while new and used vehicle affordability challenges continue to push drivers to support their aging vehicles longer. Despite the generally…
A Stabilizing Landscape Sets the Stage for 2026 As we begin a new year, the consumer and retail sector is on materially stronger footing than it was last spring. While tariff uncertainty and signs of weakening US consumer health remain pressure points, the overall operating environment is more stable. Against this backdrop, we expect meaningful…
by CEO Marc Cooper I recently spoke with Head of Consumer Retail David Shiffman about the phenomenal amount of Mergers & Acquisitions activity in the sector since 2024 and factors contributing to continued momentum. David, tell us about recent retail M&A activity and what your expectations are for Q2 and beyond. Marc there’s been a…
From high-protein snacks to better-for-you (BFY), cleaner-ingredient sodas and candies, the enduring growth and strength of the natural food and beverage sector was in full force at Expo West, the industry’s largest and most highly anticipated trade show. This year, the four-day event — held at the Anaheim Convention Center from March 4 to 7…
The Evolution of Brand Management Companies Walking around Manhattan, it is common to see people sporting Champion sweatshirts, rag & bone jeans, and new Reebok sneakers. At first glance, it might seem like Reebok simply makes sneakers and sells them, yet it is more complicated than that. The Reebok brand is owned by an entity…
Our 2025 Outlook: Trends Impacting Consumer and Retail M&A As the macroeconomic backdrop improves and positive sentiment takes hold across boardrooms, we are optimistic for an acceleration of M&A and capital markets activity in 2025, shaped by these key themes: Retail giants continue to take share and drive overall growth Next-generation brands emerging across categories…
Get the latest updates on the Experiential Entertainment industry’s performance and key trends, covering Theme Parks, Live Entertainment, Family Entertainment, and Cruise Operators.
Experiential Entertainment Update – September 2024 Get the latest updates on the experiential entertainment industry’s performance, covering theme parks, live entertainment, family entertainment, and cruise operators.
1H 2024 Digital Commerce Themes Digital commerce continues to take share despite challenged valuations for digitally-native brands that went public during the pandemic. Learn more in our Consumer Retail group’s latest report.
Our 2024 Outlook: Trends Impacting Consumer and Retail M&A Please find our discussion of critical topics we believe will impact 2024 deal-making and valuations in the consumer and retail sectors.
Brick and Mortar Experiences Are the New Norm By Partner and Co-Head of Consumer Retail Cathy Leonhardt Leading into the pandemic, the retail industry invested heavily in omni-channel capabilities, as brands sought to enhance their digital experience and bolster online customer acquisition. This investment in digital capabilities paid off—and was further amplified throughout COVID. For…
