Neiman Marcus now presents a digital reward advisor service, and an in-store concierge service, to assist clients pick objects on their want lists.
Neiman Marcus now presents a digital reward advisor service, and an in-store concierge service, to assist clients pick objects on their want lists.
Supply: Neiman Marcus
Santa Claus might be busy delivering packages curbside, by appointment, at Neiman Marcus this vacation season.
That is simply one of many initiatives that the posh division retailer chain, recent out of chapter, is utilizing to attempt to win clients over.
It additionally has launched a digital reward advisor service, the place clients full a quiz to be matched with an assistant who will textual content or name them with loads of gifting concepts primarily based on their budgets. One perk of the service is champagne and chocolate-chip cookies, despatched within the mail courtesy of Neiman.
“We’re within the enterprise of curation. We have all the time seen that after we assist folks, they’re happier and shopping for extra and coming again extra usually,” Neiman Marcus CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck mentioned in a telephone interview. “And this 12 months, I really feel that persons are dwelling a brand new vacation expertise … and so getting that additional assist to search out one thing magical is extra necessary now than ever.”
“We actually wish to give that private contact,” he added.
Enforced social distancing, monetary hardships and different stresses from the pandemic are main many to hunt out sentimental and distinctive items for household and mates. However there may be additionally a component this vacation season of not understanding what to purchase your family members. These shoppers who’ve more money to spare have spent a lot of the 12 months shopping for new devices for his or her houses, kitchen home equipment and comfy loungewear — objects which can be sometimes standard across the holidays. What’s left on anybody’s want checklist?
Neiman is betting on one-of-a-kind luxurious experiences. The retailer debuted its standard Fantasy Presents checklist for 2020 on Nov. 9, as a part of the rollout of the 94th version of its annual Christmas E book. In line with van Raemdonck, simply 48 hours later, two of its fantasy items had been already bought out.
“The curiosity was instant,” he mentioned. “This 12 months, most of those items are experiences … like making a library in your house. They are not simply one thing you put on.”
“In luxurious, it is about wishes,” van Raemdonck added. “It is about not understanding what you do not want, or do not know that you simply want, however once you see it, you must have it. To me, that is one thing we are able to do higher than anybody else.”
In late September, Neiman accomplished its Chapter 11 chapter safety course of, rising from one of many highest-profile retail collapses throughout the pandemic. Its restructuring plan eradicated greater than $four billion of debt. A brand new board consists of former LVMH North America Chair Pauline Brown and former eBay Chief Technique Officer Kris Miller. Van Raemdonck remained on as CEO of the corporate, which sought courtroom chapter safety on Could 7.
Santa Claus will ship packages curbside, by request, at Neiman Marcus this vacation season.
Supply: Neiman Marcus
Since then, Neiman has shuttered a number of shops, together with its Hudson Yards retailer in New York Metropolis that opened in March 2019. It nonetheless operates 38 retailers, in addition to two Bergdorf Goodman department shops.
“We’re actually proud of the variety of shops we’ve got, and the place they’re situated,” van Raemdonck mentioned. “We’re continuously going to take a look at this. As for now, we’re proud of it.”
The corporate has earmarked greater than $160 million over the following three years to put money into its shops, together with renovating its flagship in Dallas. A part of its technique is so as to add extra eating places and cafes to its shops, the CEO mentioned.
“We have to actually create a private expertise once you go into our retailer,” the CEO mentioned, betting that customers will quickly be snug purchasing and eating indoors.
Nevertheless it is aware of it wants to take a position extra on-line, too. The pandemic has accelerated a shift to spending on-line, even within the luxurious class, which has not all the time been the case. A report from the consulting group Bain & Co. mentioned on-line purchasing for luxurious items has doubled to signify 23% of complete purchases in 2020, from 12% in 2019. Bain now expects e-commerce to be the largest channel for luxurious spending globally by 2025.
In line with van Raemdonck, Neiman does about 35% of its gross sales on-line. It has roughly 5,000 gross sales associates devoted solely to digital. Partially, this workers helps with its digital concierge service, which is able to stay previous the vacations, he mentioned.
Like Macy’s, Neiman is providing a digital Santa expertise this vacation season, kicking off Friday, that permits households to guide one-on-one video calls with Santa Claus himself.
“Through the pandemic, we have employed many extra Santas than every other 12 months,” van Raemdonck mentioned. “And I feel that speaks to the magic. Folks want magic.”
Correction: This story has been up to date to mirror the proper spelling of Neiman Marcus.