NEIMAN MARCUS BOLSTERS INVESTMENTS IN SUPPLY CHAIN
Neiman Marcus Group announced on Wednesday that it is making investments in talent, merchandising, technology, and supply chain that aims to reshape the Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman customer experience.
“Neiman Marcus Group is a customer and brand relationship business, powered by a strong digital ecosystem,” said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of Neiman Marcus Group. “Today we are announcing additional moves to accelerate our transformation reflecting our renewed financial flexibility and desire to invest in areas that are a source of unique competitive advantage and create shareholder value.”
The retail group has tapped Bob Kupbens as its new executive vice president, chief product and technology officer, reporting to van Raemdonck. Kupbens brings a strong track record of elevating customer experiences at Apple, eBay, Delta, and ADT where he held multiple senior roles overseeing e-commerce, digital products, and technology. He will partner with David Goubert, president and chief customer officer at Neiman Marcus, Darcy Penick, president at Bergdorf Goodman, and Lana Todorovich, president and chief merchandising officer at Neiman Marcus, to develop new digital products and capabilities that enhance store, online, and omnichannel experiences at both brands. Kupbens will also accelerate the ramp-up of the retailer’s advanced analytics capabilities, scale personalization of customer experience to a broader set of customers, and curate the personalized assortments.
As Neiman Marcus Group continues on its journey towards becoming the preeminent luxury customer platform, the company is creating a new general manager, brand partnerships, and merchandising role in the Neiman Marcus brand, led by Paolo Riva and reporting to Todorovich. Riva has extensive brand and P&L experience in luxury senior global roles, last serving as CEO at Victoria Beckham and supporting senior global roles at Valentino, Diane von Furstenberg, Ferragamo, and Tory Burch.
“We have incredibly strong relationships with our brand partners and are evolving our collaboration from being a distribution channel for them to an increased value creation opportunity,” said Todorovich. “With Paolo’s leadership, we will ensure Neiman Marcus further enhances the value we provide to brand partners through maximizing their access to our luxury customers, providing additional customer and assortment insights, and aligning on the renovation plans for six of our stores within the next 18 months.”
Finally, to support one of the larger multi-brand luxury online businesses and to fuel its growth, the retailer is investing $85 million in supply chain innovation, specifically systems and fulfillment centers. Neiman Marcus Group is implementing a new order management system, a new warehouse system, and investments in the company’s Pinnacle Park distribution facility. These are multi-year improvements that begin immediately.
“We are transforming Neiman Marcus Group’s core operating capability to support our growth as the luxury destination of choice for customers,” said Willis Weirich, executive vice president, group operations, and chief supply chain officer. “As the demand for luxury products continues to grow, so does our supply chain network and infrastructure. These investments ensure that Neiman Marcus Group can quickly deliver the luxury products our customers want.”
These strategic investments aim to further strengthen Neiman Marcus Group’s business and allow it to adopt new ways of working, invest in innovative technology and data analytics, and redeploy resources to enhance relationships with customer and brand partners to strengthen the company’s digital ecosystem.