How Saks’ acquisition of Neiman Marcus plunged the company into bankruptcy: ‘Recipe for disaster’

News Brief: English

Summary

Saks Fifth Avenue’s parent company, Saks Global, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy just over a year after acquiring Neiman Marcus for $2.7 billion. The deal, financed heavily with high-risk debt, created immediate cash shortages, damaged relationships with vendors, and led to critical inventory gaps, ultimately causing a downward spiral into insolvency.

Key Points

  • Debt-Fueled Deal: The acquisition was funded with $2.2 billion in junk bonds, creating an “unsustainable” capital structure from the start.
  • Vendor Crisis: After closing the deal, Saks lacked funds to pay vendors on time, causing them to withhold inventory.
  • Inventory & Sales Spiral: Lack of merchandise drove customers away, crashing sales and cash flow, which further reduced borrowing power under asset-based loans.
  • Integration Problems: Merging systems disrupted operations during the critical holiday season, worsening inventory issues.
  • Path Forward: Saks has secured $1.75 billion in new bankruptcy financing and pledges to pay vendors. The new CEO must rebuild vendor trust and adapt the business model in a challenging retail landscape.
  • Underlying Demand: Management insists the core problem is inventory and vendor confidence, not a lack of customer demand for luxury goods.

新闻简报:中文

摘要

萨克斯第五大道(Saks Fifth Avenue)的母公司Saks Global在以27亿美元收购内曼·马库斯(Neiman Marcus)仅一年后,便申请了第11章破产保护。这笔由高风险债务驱动的大型交易立即引发了流动性危机,损害了与供应商的关系,并导致关键库存短缺,最终使公司陷入资不抵债的恶性循环。

关键点

  • 债务驱动的交易:收购资金中有22亿美元来自垃圾债券,从一开始就造成了“不可持续”的资本结构。
  • 供应商危机:交易完成后,萨克斯缺乏资金按时支付供应商货款,导致供应商停止供货。
  • 库存与销售恶性循环:商品短缺导致顾客流失,销售额和现金流暴跌,这又进一步降低了其基于资产的贷款额度,加剧资金紧张。
  • 整合问题:系统整合在关键的假日购物季出现故障,扰乱了库存流动,使情况恶化。
  • 未来路径:萨克斯已在破产程序中获得17.5亿美元的新融资,并承诺支付供应商货款。新任CEO必须重建供应商信任,并在充满挑战的零售环境中调整商业模式。
  • 潜在需求仍在:管理层坚称,核心问题是库存可用性和供应商信心,而非奢侈品需求不足。

Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/15/saks-acquisition-of-neiman-marcus-led-to-bankruptcy.html

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