Neiman Marcus doesn”™t view online shopping as competition for its brick-and-mortar stores, said Dina L. Sturtevant, vice president and market general manager for Neiman Marcus in New York and Massachusetts.
That”™s because the luxe brand ”“ with 37 stores, two Bergdorf Goodmans and five Last Call locations in more than 5.1 million gross square feet of operational space nationwide ”“ has always been about what the customer wants, “wherever she chooses, whenever she chooses.”
And that, Sturtevant added, is the essence of luxury: “It isn”™t an item. It”™s a holistic experience.”
That experience has contributed to what Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of the privately held, Dallas-based Neiman Marcus Group, described in an October report to lenders and investors as a “strong performance” for fiscal 2022, with more than $5 billion in revenues on a gross merchandise value basis, 30% comparable sales increase versus last year and an adjusted EBITDA of $495 million.
Back in our area at the height of what is undoubtedly the busiest season in retail, Sturtevant has taken time to talk with Westfair over Madison Avenue salads, a savory-sweet twist on the Cobb salad, at Mariposa (Page 23) in Neiman Marcus at The Westchester in White Plains. (While the Ridgefield resident, who celebrated her second anniversary with Neiman Marcus on Nov. 30, is principally responsible for Neiman Marcus Westchester, she also lends support to Neiman Marcus”™ locations at Roosevelt Field on Long Island and Copley Place in Boston.)
She is, she said, not one of those people in fashion who skips lunch. And indeed she is a gracious luncheon host, complimenting us on our outfit and offering an anecdote on why a lunch at Mariposa ”“ other Neiman Marcus restaurants still operate under the Zodiac brand ”“ always begins with a cup of flavorful consommé and an iconic melt-in-your mouth popover with strawberry butter.
“Stanley Marcus wanted everyone to feel like they were being welcomed home with comfort food,” Sturtevant said of the innovator who served as president, CEO and ultimately chairman emeritus of a store that was founded in 1907 by his father, Herbert Marcus Sr.; aunt, Carrie Marcus Neiman; and uncle, A.L. Neiman. “It was like a warm hug.”
Such hugs aside, you also get the impression during a brisk interview that Sturtevant ”“ crisply elegant in a black, half-sleeve sweater and cropped, cuffed, cream-colored slacks ”“ is the kind of manager who keeps the trains running on time. A storied résumé that includes helming the Lord & Taylor flagship in Manhattan ”“ “a highlight of my career” ”“ bears that out. More on that in a bit. But first, what”™s new at Neiman Marcus for the holidays?
Plenty, as it turns out, beginning with lushly powdered fragrances by Initio, Mind Games and Parfums de Marly; contouring makeup by Kevyn Aucoin Beauty; and apparel by such brands as Khaite, LMA, Nanuska and Totême that Sturtevant described as “contemporary and cutting-edge” but by no means for young fashionistas only.
Neiman Marcus works with clients to curate their wardrobes, Sturtevant said. “We don”™t pigeonhole them.”
And that includes men as well, whether their preferences be for designer brands with logos or tailored suits for the office. (Sturtevant noted that her husband, Stefan, who works for a Japanese investment firm and with whom she has three young daughters, was among the first in his company to return to the office.) Giving office attire an on-trend edge, she said ”“ pairing suits with stylish sneakers.
Shoppers will find such looks and more in the annual Neiman Marcus “Christmas Book,” another Stanley Marcus innovation that includes the signature fantasy gifts. (Among those in the 2022 edition are a $3.2 million diamond tiara; a $333,333 basketball matchup with Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen and son and Los Angeles Lakers player Scotty Pippen Jr.; a $330,000 bespoke Barbie x Maserati Grecale Trofeo SUV in the Mattel doll”™s signature hot pink; a $295,000 Aspen polo experience; and a $175,000 Napa Valley experience. A portion of the proceeds from these and other goodies go to various charities, including The Heart of Neiman Marcus, a foundation supporting the next generation, inclusivity and sustainability.
Service through fashion was another Stanley Marcus innovation at the retailer, which numbers 10,000 employees. Since 2018, it has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with the Boys & Girls Club in New Rochelle being the local partner. Neiman Marcus Westchester ”“ which opened in 1980 on the standalone site that had been occupied by Bergdorf Goodman ”“ will be accepting donations at the point of sale through January and is encouraging shoppers to support the New Rochelle club during “Philanthropy Fridays.” Club members will also attend the store”™s Dec. 10 “Breakfast With Santa.”
Working with nonprofits comes naturally to Sturtevant, who revels in the relationship aspect of retail, with its emphasis on communications skills. It should come as no surprise then that at the University of Connecticut at Storrs, she majored not in business or even marketing but journalism ”“ a field that she said has dovetailed well with her career in retail as both are varied and fast-paced. (The reporter in her asked us about the history of our own career.)
Sturtevant”™s career history began in Trumbull, where she grew up and at 16 became the Christmas shop coordinator at Lord & Taylor. She worked her way through college, starting her full-time retail career right afterward. Her more than 26 years at Lord & Taylor was spent in various operational and leadership roles, culminating in running the legendary Manhattan flagship, which closed in 2019. (The rest of the L & T stores, including one in Eastchester, were gone by early last year, although owner Saadia Group still runs Lord & Taylor online.)
The demise of a store that was a beloved bastion of quality and accessibility is an emotional issue for Sturtevant, who said L & T taught her the art of retail. From her next employer ”“ Saks Fifth Avenue”™s Manhattan flagship, where she worked for two years ”“ she said she learned retail”™s power.
Now that art and power have come together for her at Neiman Marcus, where she has concluded that retail is not merely about stuff but the stuff of dreams ”“ of escape and comfort. You never know what”™s going on in client”™s lives, Sturtevant added. For them, the store may be about more than shopping.
In the season of light and beyond it, she said, “we bring joy to people”™s lives.”
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Today I stopped with my husband and we were approached by Sophy and she was very knowledgeable with Montel fragrances. She recommended this gorgeous fragrance which I truly love and them she took us to Bader and was very informative with the brand and I bought the cream and she gave us sample for us to try. She went above and beyond and I will definitely come back to her. She very passionate.