Staples May Be Acquired

Staples (Framingham, Mass.) may be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners (New York), reports Reuters. According to sources, the companies are in advanced talks regarding a deal, which could be worth more than $6 billion and could be finalized as soon as next week.

If the company is acquired by Sycamore Partners, Staples might shift more of its focus from catering directly to consumers to businesses instead. Going private could make that shift faster for the company.

Reportedly, another private equity firm, Cerberus Capital Management, was also looking to acquire the company but has since stepped down.

It has been about a year since a federal judge put an end to the company’s efforts to merge with Office Depot due to antitrust concerns.