FTD, the nearly 110-year-old floral and gifting company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, revealing that it has enough liquidity to stay open through July but may not be able to fund operations beyond then. The company already has a deal in place to sell ProFlowers, along with the rest…

Global Payments, an international provider of payment technology and software solutions, will merge with payments provider TSYS in an all-stock merger of equals valued at $21.5 billion. The combined company, to be called Global Payments, will provide payments and software solutions to approximately 3.5 million predominantly small- and mid-sized merchants and 1,300+ financial institutions across more than 100 countries. The merger will allow TSYS to expand Global Payments’ e-Commerce and omnichannel solutions presence in the U.S., and provide further opportunities for multinational omnichannel market share gains. Additionally, Global Payments will have exposure to some of the fastest-growing digital payments trends through the TSYS issuer and consumer solutions businesses.

Zebra Technologies, a manufacturer and seller of enterprise visibility and data capture solutions such as rugged handhelds, barcode and RFID readers, is acquiring prescriptive analytics firm Profitect for an undisclosed sum. Zebra will leverage the acquisition of Profitect’s technology, talent, and skillsets to accelerate the development of its Savanna data platform and extend its Intelligent Edge Solutions portfolio. The Profitect core platform is designed to analyze data from across the value chain to help brands improve inventory and pricing accuracy and reduce out of stocks, supply chain inefficiency, unsellable merchandise and assortment discrepancies.

Two of the biggest traditional players in U.S. retail, Lowe’s and Kroger, have each made major pushes in the past year to ensure they are keeping up with major industry innovators. But this week these retailers made even bigger splashes, with Kroger launching an accelerator fund for consumer brands and Lowe’s acquiring retail analytics technology from Boomerang Commerce. Kroger has partnered with Lindsay Goldberg, a private equity firm, to form PearlRock Partners, a platform designed to identify, invest in and help grow emerging consumer product brands.

The Board of Directors of Chico’s FAS, parent company of Chico’s, White House Black Market and Soma, has rejected an acquisition proposal from private equity firm Sycamore Partners for the second time in a month. In the latest proposal, Sycamore said it sought to buy Chico’s FAS for $3.50 per share in cash, or approximately $407.8 million. David Walker, Chico’s FAS Board Chair, described the offer in a statement as “inadequate.” The latest offer was actually less than the initial proposal from Sycamore, which was for $4.30 per share. The proposed $3.50 price comes in nearly 8% below the company’s $3.85 per share stock price as of May 17, 2019.

TrueCommerce has acquired fellow cloud-based supply chain collaboration and visibility platform ecUtopia for an undisclosed sum. With the acquisition, TrueCommerce gains a strategic technology service that strengthens its commerce network in several market segments, specifically home furnishings and apparel. The TrueCommerce solutions are designed to help retailers connect their business across the supply chain under one global network, integrating processes including Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), inventory management and fulfillment, as well as e-Commerce hubs such as digital storefronts and marketplaces.

Harry’s has grown its direct-to-consumer (DTC) grooming brand via disruptive methods such as a subscription model and smooth packaging, but it appears to have found a new home under the umbrella of one of its more traditional competitors. Edgewell Personal Care, parent company of the Schick and Wilkinson razor brands and various other grooming and sun care brands, is buying Harry’s for $1.37 billion. The purchase price surpasses the $1 billion that CPG giant Unilever spent to acquire DTC competitor Dollar Shave Club in 2016.

The UK’s chief competition regulator, The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has blocked Sainsbury’s proposed £7.3 billion ($9.4 billion) takeover of Walmart-owned Asda. The rejected merger is a major setback, both to the British grocers that sought to compete against market leader Tesco, and to Walmart, which had plans to exit the UK…

Mastercard has purchased Vyze, a financing option offered at the retail POS that connects merchants with multiple lenders. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “Both consumers and businesses want the best choice and service, exactly when they need it,” said Blake Rosenthal, EVP of Global Acceptance at Mastercard in a statement. “Vyze adds to our ability to empower banks and other lending partners to participate in the growing trend of retail financing. The combination of their platform with our technology and network complements our existing payments programs.”