What's Inside

On January 9, 2025, department store JCPenney merged with SPARC Group—operator of brands including Lucky, Aéropostale, Eddie Bauer and Brooks Brothers—to create Catalyst Brands.

The merger underscores key changes in the retail sector, revealing broader trends and strategies that may have far-reaching impacts on the entire retail landscape. In this report, we explore the potential impacts of this partnership on the US retail sector and dive into some of the key emerging trends.

Companies mentioned in this report include: Authentic Brands Group, Brookfield Corp, Dillard’s, Forever 21, Gap Inc., JCPenney, Nordstrom, Reebok, Shein, Simon Property Group

Other relevant research:

• US Department Stores—Retail 2025 Sector Outlook: Softness To Continue, Despite Beauty Outperformance
• More reports on capital markets
• The Corporate and Financial Developments Databank includes details of management changes, financial guidance updates and capital raised by major retail companies.