M&A Fever Has Gripped Retail. Could Amazon Buy Nordstrom?

Acquisition fever has gripped American retailers as the survivors of the much-hyped “retail apocalypse” jockey for position in an increasingly competitive landscape. Department stores are in precarious positions and under pressure to monetize assets or go private. In recent months reports have surfaced that Hudson’s Bay Co. (owner of Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor ), Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom have all considered selling out to private equity firms, or are being pressured to explore these options by activist investors. And while some members of the Nordstrom family said in June they would consider going private, the company seemed to refute the notion in a filing Tuesday that said simply exploring a going-private option could have a negative impact on the company’s stock and relationship with key partners/suppliers. But an acquisition could be a different matter entirely, according to some industry watchers, who outlined the possibilities of either Amazon or Walmart looking to buy a department store. Read more at Forbes.