sell – ZWWBusiness

Mastermind Toys to close 18 stores, will sell bulk of its business to Unity Acquisitions

Ailing toy retailer Mastermind GP Inc. says it has reached a deal to sell the bulk of its business to a company representing three big names in the Canadian retail world.

The Toronto-based chain announced Monday that it has signed an asset purchase agreement with Unity Acquisitions Inc., a company run by Joe Mimran, Frank Rocchetti and David Lui.

Mastermind and Unity did not disclose the financial terms of their deal, which is still subject to court approval but is expected to close in January.

The deal includes the majority of Mastermind Toys store locations and will allow a “significant” portion of the company’s 800 employees to continue with the business.

A representative for Mastermind Toys said the exact number of jobs impacted by the closures has not been finalized. The company also declined an interview with CBC News.

“The acquisition aligns with Unity’s strategy to enhance and grow extraordinary Canadian brands,” Joe Mimran said in a statement.

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“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the team at Mastermind Toys and take the brand and the business to the next level.”

Mimran is best known for founding Club Monaco, creating the Joe Fresh brand for grocer Loblaw Companies Ltd., and in more recent years, helping revive hat business Tilley Endurables Inc. with Rocchetti.

Meanwhile, Lui has spent time at Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd.’s brands Sport Chek and Mark’s, and is chief executive of clothing retailer Kit and Ace, which the trio also own. The group also owns Casca Footwear, a premium shoe company from Vancouver.

Retail Insider Media publisher Craig Patterson told CBC News he was surprised to see Unity Acquisitions buy Mastermind, given that the acquisitions firm has a foothold in the fashion retail world.

“If they’re bringing on a toy retailer then it looks like Unity could be maybe looking to diversify its holdings and who knows [what] they may acquire next,” Patterson said.

Unity has “a really good leadership team behind them that has seen success with retail across all kinds of different businesses in the past,” he added.

Filed for creditor protection last month

The Canadian toy retailer filed for creditor protection on Nov. 24 — Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.

Mastermind is owned by Birch Hill Equity Partners Management Inc. and has been facing increasing

Aging, high living costs prompt small business owners to sell

An aging Canadian population and demand for higher wages are among the factors pressuring small Canadian business owners to sell their companies, according to a seasoned expert in mergers and acquisitions.

Michael Morrow, managing director of merger and acquisitions and capital markets at BDO Canada, is forecasting a rise in the sale of businesses within the next five years compared to the previous half decade.

He attributes that forecast to a lack of succession options for aging Canadian business owners, post-pandemic burnout among entrepreneurs and pressure to match competitive salary expectations amid high cost of living.

“The drivers for business owners to sell that we’re seeing have a lot to do with an aging population and no plans for family members to take over the companies,” Morrow told BNNBloomberg.ca in a telephone interview.

SUCCESSION GAPS

After decades of growing a business and steering it through the pandemic, many owners feel it is time to sell their companies now that their businesses have recovered, Morrow explained. However, many business owners do not have successors in place to take over their operations, he added.

“Another reality that is pushing owners to sell their businesses is the lack of management they have been able to retain since COVID,” Morrow added.

HIGHER WAGE DEMANDS

Demand for higher wages is also posing challenges for small businesses, Morrow said.

Small businesses can’t find the right employees, he said, because qualified candidates are seeking opportunities at larger corporations that can pay higher salaries or offer better employment perks, he explained.

Morrow is observing these trends through clients he works with at BDO Canada which offers accounting, advising and professional services to businesses.

“Someone with 20 to 30 years of expertise in a field is now a highly sought after resource in this labour market and large companies will bid to have them,” Morrow said. “This leaves smaller companies with less competitive options to offer them.”

TECHNOLOGY COSTS

Another challenge driving business owners to sell is the steep cost of new technology used in business operations today, he added.

“We’re seeing a lot of owners who have been in business for years who are now simply unable or unwilling to invest in the technology needed to bring their companies up to speed. They either