text:  Sachs and Neiman Marcus hope that together they would wield more power in the luxury world, where brands are increasingly flexing their muscles over retailers, opening their own stores and connecting directly with shoppers. Luxury sales went gangbusters in late pandemic, but have now cooled. The department store merger is likely to face tough scrutiny from federal regulators, who've recently sued to block several high-profile deals between market leaders. Alina Seluk, NPR News.