December 12/Downers Grove, Ill./Wall Street Journal -- Sara Lee Corp. signed an agreement to acquire Dutch cafe-store operator CoffeeCompany, the latest deal made by the consumer-products company to strengthen its coffee business ahead of a planned split of the company.
Once a hodgepodge of household products and food brands, Sara Lee is splitting apart, separating into an international coffee and tea business and a North American business that includes the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms brands.