buy up

Caffe Nero has bought up several smaller chains, in different parts of the country, and is retaining their independent branding so it can make the most of local loyalties.

To "keep out the big boys", as he puts it, the company bought up parcels of land and buildings and made sure independent shops, cafes and art spaces were able to move in.

In the going-out-of-business sale, a Swiss-born man named John Sutter — on whose property gold would be discovered seven years later — bought up a lot of Fort Ross land and equipment.

The resurgence of the collectible card game has caught the attention of resellers who buy up new packs in the hope of landing rare, valuable cards.

Vegas casinos and hotels are buying up palm trees and driving up the prices beyond what municipal budgets can afford, so more palms may not even be on the shopping list.