<PAGE>
OMB APPROVAL
OMB NUMBER 3235-0145
EXPIRES: OCTOBER 31, 1994
ESTIMATED AVERAGE BURDEN
HOURS PER RESPONSE........14.90
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No._______)*
J. Baker, Inc.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Title Of Class of Securities)
057232100
-------------------------------
(CUSIP Number)
Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement [x]. (A
fee is not required only if the filing person: (1) has a previous statement
on file reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the
class of securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment
subsequent thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of
such class.) (See Rule 13d-7).
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting
person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of
securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which
would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that
section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act
(however, see the Notes).
<PAGE>
CUSIP NO. 057232100 13G PAGE 2 OF 8 PAGES
---------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* Joint Filing
(a) [_]
(b) [_]
3 SEC USE ONLY
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
None
6 SHARED VOTING POWER
934,599
7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
None
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
934,599
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
934,599
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
6.8%
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
HC, CO
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>
CUSIP NO. 057232100 13G PAGE 3 OF 8 PAGES
---------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Merrill Lynch Group, Inc.
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* Joint Filing
(a) [_]
(b) [_]
3 SEC USE ONLY
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
None
6 SHARED VOTING POWER
933,500
7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
None
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
933,500
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
933,500
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
6.8%
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
HC, CO
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>
CUSIP NO. 057232100 13G PAGE 4 OF 8 PAGES
---------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Princeton Services, Inc.
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* Joint Filing
(a) [_]
(b) [_]
3 SEC USE ONLY
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
None
6 SHARED VOTING POWER
933,500
7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
None
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
933,500
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
933,500
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
6.8%
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
HC, CO
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE 13G
Item 1 (a) Name of Issuer:
---------------
J. Baker, Inc.
Item 1 (b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
------------------------------------------------
55 Turnpike Street
Canton, MA 02021
Item 2 (a) Names of Persons Filing:
-----------------------
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Merrill Lynch Group, Inc.
Princeton Services, Inc.
Item 2 (b) Address of Principal Business Office, or, if None, Residence:
------------------------------------------------------------
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
World Financial Center, North Tower
250 Vesey Street
New York, New York 10281
Merrill Lynch Group, Inc.
World Financial Center, North Tower
250 Vesey Street
New York, New York 10281
Princeton Services, Inc.
800 Scudders Mill Road
Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536
Item 2 (c) Citizenship:
-----------
See Item 4 of Cover Pages
Item 2 (d) Title of Class of Securities:
----------------------------
Common Stock
Item 2 (e) CUSIP Number:
------------
057232100
Item 3
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. ("ML&Co."), Merrill Lynch Group, Inc. ("ML
Group") and Princeton Services, Inc. ("PSI") are parent holding companies, in
accordance with (S) 240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G).
Page 5 of 8 pages
<PAGE>
Item 4 Ownership
---------
(a) Amount Beneficially Owned:
See Item 9 of Cover Pages. Pursuant to (S) 240.13d-4, ML&Co., ML
Group and PSI (the "Reporting Persons") disclaim beneficial ownership of the
securities of J. Baker, Inc. referred to herein, and the filing of this Schedule
13G shall not be construed as an admission that the Reporting Companies are, for
the purposes of Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the "Act"), the beneficial owner of any securities of J. Baker, Inc. covered by
this statement, other than certain securities of J. Baker Inc. held in MLPF&S,
proprietary accounts.
(b) Percent of Class:
See Item 11 of Cover Pages
(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
(i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
See Item 5 of Cover Pages
(ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
See Item 6 of Cover Pages
(iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
See Item 7 of Cover Pages
(iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
See Item 8 of Cover Pages
Item 5 Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.
--------------------------------------------
Not Applicable
Item 6 Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Princeton Services, Inc. acts as the general partner of Merrill Lynch
Asset Management, L.P. (d/b/a Merrill Lynch Asset Management) and Fund Asset
Management, Inc., each of which are investment advisers registered under Section
203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and act as investment advisers to
investment companies registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of
1940. With respect to securities held by those investment companies, several
persons have the right to receive, or the power to direct the receipt of
dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, such securities. No such
person's interest relates to more than 5% of the class of securities reported
herein.
Page 6 of 8 pages
<PAGE>
Item 7 Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
---------------------------------------------------------
Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
-------------------------------------------------------------
Company.
--------
See Exhibit A
Item 8 Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
---------------------------------------------------------
Not Applicable
Item 9 Notice of Dissolution of Group.
-------------------------------
Not Applicable
Item 10 Certification.
-------------
By signing below each of the undersigned certifies that, to the best
of their knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in
the ordinary course of business and were not acquired for the purpose of and do
not have the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of such
securities and were not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any
transaction having such purposes or effect.
Signature.
- ---------
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief,
each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this
statement is true, complete and correct.
Date: February , 1994 Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
/s/ David L. Dick
-----------------------------
Name: David L. Dick
Title: Assistant Secretary
Merrill Lynch Group, Inc.
/s/ David L.Dick
------------------------------
Name: David L. Dick
Title: Secretary
Princeton Services, Inc.
/s/ David L.Dick
------------------------------
Name: David L. Dick
Title: Attorney-in-Fact*
________________
* Signed pursuant to a power of attorney, dated February 10, 1994, included as
an exhibit to Schedule 13G filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., et. al. on February 14, 1994 with respect to Dial
REIT Inc.
Page 7 of 8 pages
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A TO SCHEDULE 13G
-------------------------
ITEM 7 DISCLOSURE RESPECTING SUBSIDIARIES
-----------------------------------------
Three of the persons filing this report, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., a
Delaware corporation with its principal place of business at World Financial
Center, North Tower, 250 Vesey Street, New York, New York ("ML&Co."), Merrill
Lynch Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business
at World Financial Center, North Tower, 250 Vesey Street, New York, New York
("ML Group"), and Princeton Services, Inc. ("PSI"), a Delaware corporation with
its principal place of business at 800 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, New
Jersey, are parent holding companies pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G).
Pursuant to the instructions in Item 7 of Schedule 13G, the relevant
subsidiaries of ML&Co. are Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
("MLPF&S"), ML Group and PSI, which is the general partner of Merrill Lynch
Asset Management L.P., (d/b/a Merrill Lynch Asset Management ("MLAM") and Fund
Asset Management, L.P. ("FAM"). The relevant subsidiary of ML Group is PSI.
MLPF&S, a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business at
250 Vesey Street, New York, New York, is a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of
ML&Co. and a broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.
ML Group, a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of ML&Co., may be deemed to
be the beneficial owner of 6.8% of the securities of J. Baker, Inc. by virtue of
its control of its wholly-owned subsidiary, PSI.
PSI, a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of ML Group, may be deemed to be
the beneficial owner of 6.8% of the securities of J. Baker, Inc. by virtue of
its being the general partner of MLAM and FAM.
Pursuant to (S) 240.13d-4, ML&Co., ML Group, MLPF&S, PSI, MLAM, and
FAM disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities of the Company, and the
filing of this Schedule 13G shall not be construed as an admission that any such
entity is for the purposes of Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Act, the beneficial
owner of any securities of the Issuer, other than, in the case of ML & Co. and
MLPF&S, securities of the Issuer held by MLPF&S in proprietary accounts.
Page 8 of 8 pages
