At nearly 160,000-square feet spread over two brightly lit floors populated by the kind of high-end merchandise that you regularly se
e showcased at Fashion Week and Sex & the City reruns, Neiman Marcus recently opened for business in Garden City as the anchor for Roosevelt Field’s new luxury wing. As the 42nd store to be launched by the Dallas-based retailer (and the first to be constructed since 2012), this Neiman is one of the smaller locations in the chain, but it’s no less impressive. Having commissioned Elkus Manfredi Architects to design the exterior and Burdifilek to handle the interior design, Long Island’s latest entry into high-end upscale shopping perfectly encapsulates its parent company’s ethos of offering discerning fashion in a gracious environment driven by exceptional customer service. As you walk through this brightly lit store, the retailer’s aesthetic commitment to art is clear, not only from the cubist nuances apparent in the store design but the 37 pieces of art displayed throughout that were hand-curated for the store and represent a number of New York area artists including Max Miller, Peri Schwartz, Teo Gonzalez and Jody Morlock. As part of the Neiman Marcus permanent collection, each work of art also has an accompanying museum-quality plaque that includes the artist’s name, title of the piece, date and medium.
As for the vendors, well-heeled customers get to peruse boutiques featuring brands by the likes of Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Carolina Herrera, Stella McCartney, Tom Ford, Ermenegildo Zegna and Céline, the latter of which is the only one east of New York City. This chic branding extends to the store’s Avery Perfume Gallery, of which 95 percent consists of fragrances exclusive to Long Island. Shoe mavens will drool over a department that features more than 1,100 styles including elite lines like Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik. And if super high-end is your speed, be sure to meander over to the Stefano Ricci section where you can take a gander at a blue $125,000 alligator belly jacket that was custom-made for the store.
And while all these luxury brands are well and good, it is Neiman’s 170 associates that take customer service up to a platinum level and are able to communicate in myriad languages including Cantonese, French, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian and Spanish. Armed with iPhones to show customers merchandise options that go beyond what might be on site, these Neiman employees are seasoned personal shoppers, a point of pride for the store’s general manager, Doris Wilshere.
“All of our associates are personal shoppers, because we’ve hired professional sellers and they have relationships with their customers,” the Manhasset resident explained. “They know what’s in their closets. They go to their homes. They understand their lives, the events, the important milestones in their lives, and they are able to suggest, recommend and really wardrobe their clients head to toe based on how they live their lives.”
She added, “Trust has been built up because, again, the associates are here to help wardrobe to the client’s needs. Each and every customer can experience the wardrobing setups that we do in our fitting rooms. [Our employees] understand what the clientele is looking for, so they’re able to curate items and build a wardrobe for the customer and put it together for them. Then they’re in a private setting in the dressing area and they work with the customers and the existing wardrobe that they already have and they look to fill in from season to season.”
Other amenities customers can expect are a secure and complimentary phone charging station called the ChargeItSpot and a pair of “Memory Mirrors.” Developed by Neiman’s iLab and MemoMi, this technology captures images and video of outfits you try on in an eight-second video that can be showcased side by side, password-protected and shared on email and social media by those seeking a second opinion. There are also a pair of private spa rooms, Bulgari and Chopard precious jewels salons, expert alterations and the NM Cafe, where those in need of a nosh will get full service from a uniformed dining room staff.
The retailer also has made a commitment to connect with the community via its All Heart initiative, which is Neiman Marcus’ effort to encapsulate its charitable efforts. In this case, it was through partnering with Port Washington’s Spectrum Designs, a not-for-profit apparel customization shop that provides gainful employment and meaningful work opportunities to individuals with autism. The retailer tapped the company to create the T-shirts its associates wore during the store’s setup. This philanthropy and this dedication to high-end customer service is a big part of what attracted Wilshere to the company.
“The philanthropy that we do and how important it is to give back and be a part of the community means a lot,” she said. “The store has a lot of heart. I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s an amazing group that we have here.”
