This is what Nordstrom stores could look like in the future

Nordstrom as we know it is changing.

The Nordstrom family — at the helm of this luxury, century-old department store — announced Thursday that they are considering buying out shareholders and going private.

"They are taking the company back to its roots," Kathy Gersch, a former vice president at Nordstrom and now executive vice president at management consultancy firm Kotter International, told Business Insider.

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"[Being family-owned] allows them to focus on the vision of success for the long-term and not be influenced by public market pressure," said Gersch.

The brand has struggled recently. Same-store sales numbers have steadily declined since 2014 in its full-line stores. In 2016, the brand reported a 0.4% decrease in comparable sales overall, compared to the 4% growth it saw two years before.

Increasingly, the brand has leaned on its off-price chain, Nordstrom Rack, for growth. These stores now outnumber Nordstrom's full-price locations. Given the success of Rack stores, it's likely we can expect to see more of them in the coming years.

Here's what might change:

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SEE ALSO: Nordstrom shares soar 20% after announcement it might go private