The Supply Side: Neiman adds free shipping, JC’s closes outlets
by October 2, 2013 5:55 pm 98 views
• Neiman Marcus unveils free shipping
High-end retailer Neiman Marcus said it will provide free shipping and it's not just for the holidays.
The retailer known for its one-of-a-kind items and luxury catalog, says it will now offer free standard shipping and free returns permanently for all domestic purchases made on its websites or at its Bergdorf Goodman and namesake stores.
Competitor Nordstrom already offers these free services for its domestic orders. Neiman said it will give its international customers free shipping on orders over $100.
The Dallas-based retailer said it is also using iPads in select departments in stores to give customers access to online inventory as well as what is available in store. The company operates 41 Neiman Marcus Stores across the United States and two Bergdorf Goodman stores in Manhattan.
• JC's 5 Star closing 15 outlet stores
After 50 years in business, JC's 5 Star Outlet/J.C.Penney Outlet announced the closing of 15 stores as its winds down its operations in 14 states.
The owners estimate they have roughly $70 million in product inventory to liquidate as they close the business.
The outlet stores trace their roots to the J.C. Penney Company's 1962 purchase of a Milwaukee, Wis.,mail order company, the General Merchandise Company. The outlet stores were established in 1963 to sell overstocked or discontinued merchandise from its catalog and mail order operations.
The outlet stores were sold by J.C.Penney in 2011 to SB Acquisitions.
The company said closing the outlet stores was a painful decision, but necessitated by the precipitous decline of sales. While other alternatives have been explored the losses continued to the point of no return.
• Nordstrom, L.L. Bean add pop-ups
As the holiday season approaches Nordstrom and L.L. Bean said they will add pop-up shops to broadened their reach in hopes of driving more sales.
Nordstrom is reportedly initiating a program called Pop-In @ Nordstrom, which Women’s Wear Daily describes as “an ongoing series of themed pop-up shops in eight Nordstrom stores and on nordstrom.com.”
Ranging in size from 450 to 1,000 square feet, the first Pop-In will celebrate all things French, stocking a section of vintage Chanel and other designers, as well as items from Merci in Paris, a store that donates 100% percent of its sales to Madagascar.
L.L. Bean recently opened a Boston pop-up shop for a two-day event designed to showcase American craftsmanship. This pop-up offered shoppers the chance to buy some 60 varieties of its namesake boot. The next pop-up is planned for the Big Apple at the NYC Flea in December. The retailer will also have a pop-up holiday kiosk in the Natick, Mass., mall.