Neiman Marcus
How to Shop NeimanMarcus.com
It doesn’t get much more posh than NeimanMarcus.com, so the idea of budget shopping on its Web site might seem laughable, but not all together impossible. Follow our tips that make the online shop a tad more accessible.
Sales & Values. We say skip paying full price for NeimanMarcus.com items and start your shopping experience by clicking on the Sales & Values section. In this section, you can search sale items by designer, new arrivals or most effectively, by category and size. The best part of the sale section is the Last Call Clearance with items starting at 65% off. Since quality is as important as price, this is a good place to pick up a Diane von Furstenberg classic wrap dress or a Lavender Label Vera Wang gown that will end paying for itself over time when applying the cost per wear ratio. Plus, you still have 30 days to return them if it doesn’t work out.
Practice TBF’s 70/30 Rule. Avoid getting overly excited about seeing an “it” bag on sale – if it’s one sale, then it’s probably no longer an “it” bag because the store is making room on the shelves for the next purse that everyone has to own. When trying to stay within your shopping budget, follow the 70/30 rule: 70 % of your closet should be classic pieces, 30% trendy, and please stick to the cheaper retailers for items that will only last a season.
Avoid Paying Shipping Cost. NeimanMarcus.com often offers free shipping on orders over $150 and occasionally on the entire order, no matter the final sale total.
In Store Returns. While online shopping is convenient in so many ways, not being able to see the item in person and try it on is a major drawback for most consumers. With purchases made at NeimanMarcus.com you can avoid the hassle of returning items by mail and take it back to the store. Note that credit for the return cannot be directly done at the store; instead you will receive an acknowledgment slip for the credit to be refunded once the item makes its way back to the warehouse, which is annoying, but you can at least save on the return shipping cost.
Price Adjustments. There is nothing worse than buying something and seeing it go on sale a week later. NeimanMarcus.com offers a one-time price adjustment for items purchased within a 10-day period. It excludes the Last Call Online Clearance and temporary special promotions, but does include the permanent online sale items, so make sure you check back to see if your item has been marked down.
Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Part of Neiman Marcus retail stores’ simultaneous allure and repel has been over its payment policy of only accepting the proprietary store credit card, American Express cards, cash, check or gift cards. However, NeimanMarcus.com allows you to pay with your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover cards making online transactions and going into debt a little easier.
Fashion News and Sales. Be in the know. Register on the homepage for a periodic email from NeimanMarcus.com. You will learn when new markdowns happen, get a heads up on Last Call Clearance sales, and have a chance to sign up and win shopping spree giveaways.
The Budget Fashionista’s Weekly Retail Closing Report for March 3
Could the news get any worse? Very much so. Retailers keep struggling, stores keep closing, and stuff keeps getting liquidated. The Q4 results are in… here are the losers, and, well, the losers.
Fourth Quarter Blues
Nordstrom and Saks, two of the more upscale retailers out there, aren’t doing too well, and in fact - “given the uncertain economy, [Nordstrom] no longer will provide a quarterly earnings outlook.” Eeks. So much for optimistic thinking.
Macy’s, Target, and Kohl’s also reported awful fourth quarters. Gap joined the sad chorus, too, but was quick to point out that it has still managed to outperform competitors.
Slimming Up
Neiman Marcus is lightening its load, firing a bunch of folks (450 to be exact). Valentino is also letting go of some employees. J.Crew’s taking even more drastic measures, though, slashing 95 jobs, suspending its 401K program, and even getting rid of raises that are merit-based. Jeez!
Stores Closing
Aeropostatle is closing all 11 Jimmy’Z stores.
Zales is shutting down 115 stores.
Iridesse - a pearl jewelry chain by Tiffany and Co - is over. All 16 stores will be closed.
Could Barneys be on the same path? Probably not, but it did put a stop to its spring orders, for the time being.
Finally, the economy is hammering the final nail in the Fortunoff coffin. Liquidation is beginning.
In the midst of all this doom and gloom, Christian Audigier is rubbing the opening of his new Ed Hardy store in everyone’s face, celebrating it with champagne, hors d’oeuvres, and NFL players. A little insensitive, don’t you think?
Read our past retail reports:
Feb 27
Feb 20
Feb 9
Feb 4
Jan 23
The Gladiator Sandal: High Vs. Low
“THESE PRODUCTS ARE NO LONGER BEING SOLD”
With the urban tribal theme everywhere this spring, gladiator sandals are hot once again, and they do go incredibly well with the global prints and safari-influenced styling we’re seeing. So, can you get cute glad sandals without breaking the bank? Of course. Here’s a test first: we’ve picked a pair that’s priced a little out of our league, and another that will keep us on trend without emptying our bank account. Can you tell which is which?
On the left is the bargain version, just $34.99 at Shoes.com, while on the right? The pricier pair, by Prada, $495 at Neiman Marcus.
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