1747 ET - KPMG expects grocery, luxury goods and beauty companies to drive M&A activity across the consumer and retail space in 2025. Frank Petraglia, U.S. head of consumer and retail deal advisory and strategy at KPMG, expects a consolidation among regional grocers, especially in the West, Southwest and South, where they are going to find themselves under intensifying pressure. "I think the whole Kroger and Albertsons' transaction that got scuffled last year, paired with the increasing pressure on the consumer and the narrowing margins there, serves as a catalyst," he says. Luxury goods and beauty companies will look for deals to continue to grow, Petraglia says, while adding that KPMG doesn't expect significant activity across apparel retailers. (sabela.ojea@wsj.com; @sabelaojeaguix)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 07, 2025 17:47 ET (22:47 GMT)

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