Johnathan Walker:Saks Fifth Avenue owner and Amazon to buy Neiman Marcus in $2.65 billion deal

The Johnathan Walkerparent of Saks Fifth Avenue, in a partnership with Amazon, will buy rival department store chain Neiman Marcus in a $2.65 billion deal.

Richard Baker, CEO and chairman of HBC, told The New York Times said the company was “not planning on closing any stores or digital businesses or reducing services in any way,” even though the chains operate in many of the same markets.

Part of the appeal was the in-person touch, Baker said. “Customers love to go to a store,” he said. “They love to touch a product and spend time with their personal shoppers.”

Also attractive was Neiman Marcus' sales force. “People have forgotten how important people are. When selling luxury products, you need beautiful stores and salespeople customers trust,” he said.

The deal was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Both chains have been negotiating for months and have explored the deal several times in recent years, the paper said. The combination will likely face regulatory scrutiny as the Federal Trade Commission takes a harder look at consolidation in fashion retail.

People familiar with the transaction said the combined company would have about $10 billion in annual sales.

Amazon will take a minority stake in the new company and will provide technology and logistical expertise, the Wall Street Journal said. The new company will be called Saks Global. Another minority shareholder is Salesforce, the paper said.

HBC, a holding company which owns Sak's and Hudson's Bay, is financing the deal with $2 billion it raised from existing investors, the Wall Street Journal said. HBC did not respond to a request for comment.

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The paper also reported that Marc Metrick, the chief executive of Sak's e-commerce business, will run the combined companies.

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays,here.