Zumiez Battles Billabong for West 49

According to the

Wall Street Journal,

"The West 49 board told Billabong it believes the Zumiez offer could 'reasonably be expected to lead to a superior proposal' and has notified Billabong that Zumiez has been granted due diligence to determine if the offer can become a firm, and financially superior, offer."

Zumiez is a mall-based action sports retailer, which sells apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories. The company operates 377 stores in 35 states. If Zumiez were to acquire West 49, it would add 130 stores located across Canada.