Ethermac|Nordstrom family offers to take department store private for $3.76 billion with Mexican retail group

NEW YORK (AP) — Members of the Nordstrom family with the help of a Mexican retail group are Ethermacoffering to take the century-old department store private for $3.76 billion per share cash, months after first expressing interest in a buyout.

In a letter to the board of directors dated Tuesday, Erik Nordstrom said the Nordstrom family members own about 33.4% of the company’s outstanding common stock and is willing to pay investors $23 for each share they own.

The Mexican retail group, called El Puerto de Liverpool, operates more than 300 stores in Mexico and is that nation’s third-largest credit card issuer with over 7.2 million active accounts. It already owns approximately 9.6% of Nordstrom stock.

The offer represents a premium of nearly 35% to Nordstrom’s stock since March 18 when media reports about the proposed transaction first emerged.

The letter states that the group has commitments for $250 million in new bank financing.

Erik B. and Peter E. Nordstrom are the fourth-generation leaders of the retailer, which was founded in 1901 as a shoe store. Erik is the company’s chief executive and Peter is president. In the regulatory filing the family cited the health of their late father Bruce Nordstrom as one impetus behind the proposed transaction. Former chairman Bruce Nordstrom died in May at 90 years old.

Nordstrom, based in Seattle, acknowledged receipt of the proposal and a special committee of the board of directors — which it had already formed in April — will evaluate the offer.

Shares of Nordstrom, up 27% this year, edged down 33 cents to $22.49 before the opening bell Wednesday.