The owner of the Spencer's retail chain may be facing some competition in its bid for consumer electronics retailer Brookstone Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported today. The company that owns e-commerce retailer Monoprice is preparing an all-cash bid for Brookstone that would challenge Spencer Sprit Holdings Inc.'s offer, which includes $120 million in cash and the assumption of Brookstone debt. Spencer earlier offered to serve as the lead bidder at an auction for Brookstone, which is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection in the coming days. Monoprice's owner, Blucora Inc., would merge the two retailers if its bid is successful, the people said. Blucora bought Monoprice, an Internet seller of electronics accessories, in 2013.
