"Woolworths May Go Shopping for Coles A Wall Street Journal NEWS ROUNDUP Word Count: 505 | Companies Featured in This Article: Woolworths, Coles Group, Wesfarmers MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australia's largest retailer, Woolworths Ltd., may seek to partner with private-equity groups in a bid of more than 20 billion Australian dollar (US$16.3 billion) for main rival Coles Group Ltd., two people familiar with the situation said.
Woolworths is looking at acquiring Coles's business-supplies chain Officeworks and discount-department-store network Target, the people said Thursday.
Joining up with another player to bid for the entire group, including Coles's food and liquor assets, would raise the specter of a three-way bidding war involving consortia led by local industrial conglomerate Wesfarmers Ltd. and U.S. buyout giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts ..."
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