Amazon to Buy iRobot [Merger falls apart]

General Discussion
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This is interesting.

IRobot had a terrible last quarter, probably a combination of supply chain issues and retailers worrying about inflation’s impact on consumer demand.

But customers mostly love iRobot, and they have a lot of strong patents.

My first question is longterm what happens to the special model deals with Costco, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, etc. Will those companies want a partnership that benefits a major rival, however indirectly?

I know most bloggers’ first question is data privacy.

Lots to think about.

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The merger has been called off after EU opposition.

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Personally, I find this sad. :disappointed_relieved:

iRobot has some real challenges ahead now.

The collapse of the deal means Amazon will pay a $94 million termination fee to iRobot, which will largely be used to pay off a $200 million loan it took out last year. As part of today’s announcement, iRobot published its preliminary fourth quarter results for 2023 and said it expects to report a GAAP operating loss of “between $265 and $285 million.”

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oof. I didn’t realize this was still up for review in the EU. Seems a bit heavy handed.

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