Consumer Companies Lower as Abercrombie, Whole Foods Weigh Plans -- Consumer Roundup

Shares of retailers and other consumer-services companies fell as two former shopping meccas considered desperate measures.

Longtime teen clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has entered merger talks with at least two interested buyers, The Wall Street Journal reported. Shares of Abercrombie rose, but remain a fraction of the price achieved during the chain's heyday.

Meanwhile, Whole Foods Market, the Austin, Texas, chain that helped launch the organic-food craze, said it would remove more than half of its 12 sitting directors over the course of the year and name a new chairman. Whole Foods is responding to pressure from activist investor Jana Partners, which recently disclosed an 8% stake.

Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 10, 2017 17:38 ET (21:38 GMT)