Divestiture • Retail

Williams-Sonoma Acquires Pottery Barn

On September 1, 1986, Williams-Sonoma acquired retailer Pottery Barn from Gap

Acquisition Context
  • This is Williams-Sonoma’s 1st transaction in the Retail sector.
  • This is Williams-Sonoma’s 1st transaction in the United States.
  • This is Williams-Sonoma’s 1st transaction in California.

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M&A Deal Summary

Date September 1, 1986
Target Pottery Barn
Sector Retail
Buyer(s) Williams-Sonoma
Sellers(s) Gap
Deal Type Divestiture

Target Company

Pottery Barn

San Francisco, California, United States
Pottery Barn is a specialty retailer of home furnishings serving customers across the US. The Company was formed in 1949 and is based in San Francisco, California.
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Buyer Overview 1

Buyer

Williams-Sonoma

San Francisco, California, United States

Category Company
Founded 1956
Sector Retail
Employees19,600
Revenue 7.7B USD (2025)
DESCRIPTION

Williams-Sonoma is a multi-channel specialty retailer of high quality products for the home. Williams-Sonoma was founded in 1956 and is based in San Francisco, California.


Deal Context for Buyer #
Overall 1 of 3
Sector: Retail 1 of 2
Type: Divestiture 1 of 1
State: California 1 of 2
Country: United States 1 of 3
Year: 1986 1 of 1
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2011-11-01 Rejuvenation

Portland, Oregon, United States

Rejuvenation is aprovider of classic American lighting and house parts general store for home improvement whose mission is to add real value to homes, buildings, and projects.

Buy -

Seller Profile 1

SELLER

Gap

San Francisco, California, United States

Category Company
Founded 1969
Sector Apparel/Textiles
Employees82,000
Revenue 15.1B USD (2025)
DESCRIPTION

Gap is a specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, children, and babies. Gap was founded in 1969 and is based in San Francisco, California.


Deal Context for Seller #
Overall 1 of 4
Sector: Retail 1 of 2
Type: Divestiture 1 of 4
State: California 1 of 2
Country: United States 1 of 3
Year: 1986 1 of 1
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
1983-02-01 Banana Republic

San Francisco, California, United States

Banana Republic is a clothing and accessories brand and retailer.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2008-09-22 Athleta

Petaluma, California, United States

Athleta caters to the 25-55 age group and sells clothes for yoga, running, skiing, and surfing via its Website and catalog.

Buy $150M