High-end department store Neiman Marcus won the top spot as 2015’s Luxury Retailer of the Year in Luxury Daily’s annual roundup for acing digital and cross channel marketing—both key to success in today’s market.
Barney’s New York came in as the first runner up and Net-A-Porter followed as the second.
The Dallas, Texas-based Neiman Marcus operates 42 stores in 40 cities and also ships goods to shoppers in other parts of the world through a partnership with global e-commerce solution Borderfree.
“With the constant fear that in-store retail could be dying as consumers increasingly turn toward e-commerce sites to make purchases, it goes without saying that retailers are in a position where they are forced to adapt,” Luxury Daily wrote. “Neiman Marcus has proven itself to be among the fastest, most creative and most efficient adapters to this and other changes in the shopping experience related to the growth of online and mobile shopping.”
Neiman Marcus was dedicated to improving the in-store shopping experience in 2015—namely creating the same kind of convenience consumers find online. At the start of year the retailer unveiled interactive tables that allow shoppers to browse the store’s selections digitally, including items not available in that particular store. Users can even add items to a wish list.
The goal, according to the retailer, was to allow consumers the physical experience of seeing, touching and trying on without having to fret about an item being out of stock.
Neiman Marcus also has memory mirrors in its stores, allowing shoppers to see themselves from different angles in video, compare outfits side-by-side and email videos to themselves to save, or to friends for feedback. With the mirrors, gone are the moments of switching back and forth between outfits and repeatedly posing in them or straining to see how something looks from the back.
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The retailer’s “Snap. Find. Shop” offering lets consumers snap photos of products from their mobile devices and find the item, or a similar version, on the Neiman Marcus website, eliminating the inconvenience of searching for the product, whether online or in stores.
Now that Pinterest has buy buttons, with which Neiman Marcus goods can be bought, there’s yet another platform for shoppers to engage with the brand.
This year also saw the launch of the retailer’s brand-specific mobile wallet developed in partnership with Capital One, which saves payment information and can be used for in-store transactions. The move could increase consumers’ use of the Neiman Marcus card, which many may forget at home if the shopping trip was unplanned.
For Father’s Day, Neiman Marcus teamed with FedEx to offer same-day delivery for in-stock goods, and in its most recent holiday book, consumers could gain access to an exclusive gift only revealed through the brand’s mobile app.
“Neiman Marcus has shown that it understands the demographic shifts and the data behind the move online,” Luxury Daily wrote. “This year, the brand was present at SXSW, a haven for young, cultured consumers who skew affluent, exactly the demographic that retailers covet. By having a presence at the festival, Neiman Marcus gave itself opportunities to forge relationships with consumers who already are or could one day be big spenders.”