» Read More...

Neiman Marcus is a nominee for the Readers' Choice Award for Best Department Store. The Dallas, Texas-based luxury retailer was founded in 1907 by Herbert Marcus, Sr., his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman and her husband A.L. Neiman. Since then, the company has become known for its merchandise leadership and superior customer service. Its upscale assortment of apparel, accessories, jewelry, beauty and decorative home products cater to the affluent customer.

The company is credited with many firsts. In 1926, the company premiered the first weekly retail fashion show in the U.S. It began offering menswear in 1928, featuring items like French-made ties and English shirtings--items rarely found west of New York City. In 1934 the company started running national advertisements in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines--the first retail establishment outside New York City to do so. In 1984, the company established InCircle, the industry's first customer-loyalty program.

In 1939, the company launched its annual Christmas Book tradition with a wonderland of fur coats, fashion accessories, perfumes, toys and more. The book has since become famous for extravagent, over-the-top luxury items, such as a $25,000 customized and motorized cupcake car and a Jaguar XJL Supercharged Neiman Marcus edition sedan for $105,000, both offered in the 2009 book. The Christmas Book's "His and Hers" gift, which is an annual tradition, currently features a pair of ICON A5 Sports Aircrafts and pilot training for two for the princely sum of $250,000.

Now more than a century old, the company has 41 stores and a total of more than six million gross square feet around the country, from California to Massachusetts. In 1999, Neiman Marcus launched its website, neimanmarcus.com, making it possible for customers around the world to easily access its large selection of designer and luxury brands via the Internet. The Neiman Marcus Group is the parent company of two other esteemed companies: Bergdorf Goodman, the luxury department store based in New York and The Horchow Collection, a luxury mail-order catalog.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards. (Luxist)

They are definitely all about luxury.......one of my favorite things is their Christmas catalog which showcases items beyond the general scope of merchandise. One year, included among the pages was a gorgeous Mercedes and an actual robot.........it's items such as that which sets them apart from many other retailers and keep consumers excited with much anticipation.

» Read More...

1 Mass Merchants
PERCENT OF VOTES 58%
Retail rivals Wal-Mart and Target are at it again this holiday season, fighting a pitched battle for consumer dollars. To entice budget-conscious shoppers, Wal-Mart is rolling back prices of 100 different items to $10 and less, while its competitor plans to lower costs up to 50 percent on anticipated big-seller gadgets.

2 Online
PERCENT OF VOTES 37%
A great deal of shoppers will be avoiding crowded stores this year, and why not, with free shipping abounding from online retailers including Finishline.com, DSW.com and Zappos.com. And customers can receive up to 20 percent off merchandise from a number of other retailers on the Web.

3 National Chains
PERCENT OF VOTES 32%
Stepping up their game this holiday season, Kohl’s will be expanding the number of days customers can earn and redeem “Kohl’s Cash” in-store coupons. The retail chain also plans to spend more money on direct mailing than last year, hoping to send nearly 50 e-mails to customers within the two-month holiday span.

4 Electronics Stores
PERCENT OF VOTES 26%
Electronic megastore Best Buy has big plans for the season, including giving consumers’ pockets a break with their “Deal of the Day,” where savings are offered daily on everything from gaming systems to stereos, now through Christmas Eve. The company also will hire more blue shirts to man the Best Buy floors to help with the customer craze.

5 Department Stores
PERCENT OF VOTES 25%
Department stores are always eager — sometimes a little too eager — to get into the holiday spirit, and Sears is no exception. The store has already begun its Black Friday sales, offering bargains on everything from power tools to workboots. And Neiman Marcus is making an extra effort this year to appeal to customers: Half the items in its annual holiday catalog will cost less than $250, a stretch for the luxe company.

6 Warehouse Clubs
PERCENT OF VOTES 21%
Costco Wholesale will be the place to shop for Thanksgiving dinner this year. After a test run at its New York stores, the company plans to start accepting food stamps at the clubs nationwide. It hopes to honor the program in half its stores nationwide by Turkey Day.

7 Toy Stores
PERCENT OF VOTES 20%
Toys ’R’ Us is reintroducing consumers to the idea of convenience this season. Like JCPenney in 2008, the children’s superstore has given customers the layaway option of putting larger-ticket items on hold, as well as the alternative of making a series of payments until the item is paid for in full.

8 Outlet Stores
PERCENT OF VOTES 20%
Tanger Outlet Centers are spreading cheer through their Twitter page this winter. The outlets have already begun to tweet about their Midnight Madness Sale, which starts at 12 a.m. on Thanksgiving night, as well as special sales and steals throughout the stores. And as an added bonus, every store in the centers is having major markdowns.

9 Clothing Specialty Stores
PERCENT OF VOTES 18%
Old Navy plans to embrace Black Friday this year, opening its doors at 3 a.m. It also is giving away a Lego Rock Band video game with every $20 purchase while supplies last, and will host its always-welcomed sales, such as 30-to-60 percent off the normal price on a selection of clothing.

10 Catalogs/Mail Order
PERCENT OF VOTES 16%
While ordering via catalog might not give you the opportunity to see Santa at the mall, Lands’ End has one alternative. On the company’s Website, products called “St. Nick Picks” will be featured daily to entice consumers to make purchases early and at a good value. The site also displays gift ideas priced under $30, $50 and $100.

(WWD)

» Read More...