What: The merger between Saks and Neiman Marcus, funded partly by Amazon and Salesforce, faces potential complications from the FTC, which may delay or challenge the deal.

Why it is important: The involvement of major companies like Amazon and Salesforce heightens regulatory scrutiny, potentially impacting the consolidation of two of the largest luxury department store chains and reshaping the retail landscape.

HBC's USD 2.65 billion deal to merge Saks and Neiman Marcus into Saks Global faces potential delays and challenges from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). With Amazon and Salesforce as part of the funding, the merger draws significant regulatory attention, reflecting increased scrutiny in the retail sector. The FTC's rigorous antitrust review, which could include a "second request" for detailed information, complicates the path to finalising the deal. This heightened scrutiny comes as the FTC also challenges other major retail mergers,

Potential FTC challenges to Saks/Neiman Marcus merger due to Amazon and Salesforce involvement