Neiman Marcus

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus has launched its online Beauty Product Specialist Program offering online customers the personalized counter experience they would receive in a Neiman Marcus store.

"Through this program our customers can expect to receive guidance on skincare regimes, makeup application, and choosing a personal scent," said Kelly St. John, Neiman Marcus Direct VP, divisional merchandise manager, beauty.

By Doug Lodder, [email protected]

Mobile device users have the world at their fingertips. Consumers today can use their smartphone or tablet to manage their finances, diagnose their own symptoms, and even use apps as a personal stylist while shopping.

LOS ALTOS, Calif. — Catalog Spree, a personal digital mall that lets consumers browse and shop their favorite catalogs, has expanded the men’s section of its mobile app to include lookbooks featuring Kenneth Cole, Original Penguin, Perry Ellis and Thomas Pink. 

By Ted Vaughan, [email protected]

The year 2012 was the best year for retail IPOs since 2002 — S&P Capital IQ reported seven offerings for the year — and when we released our 2013 IPO Outlook Study earlier this year, 30% of capital markets executives expected initial public offerings (IPOs) in the retail and consumer products space to continue to grow in 2013. Now that we’re well into the second half of the year, how have those expectations fared?

Fremont, Calif. -- Allen I. Questrom, who has held CEO and other senior executive positions at several major retailers in the past 40 years, has joined the board of directors of The Men’s Wearhouse. With the addition of Questrom, currently a member of the boards of directors of Sotheby's and the Glazer family of companies, Men’s Wearhouse has nine directors, seven of whom are independent.

FREMONT, Calif. — The Men's Wearhouse has appointed retail industry veteran Allen I. Questrom to its board of directors.

Questrom’s addition brings the Men's Wearhouse board to a total of nine directors, seven of whom are independent.

What’s your favorite department store? The experts at London-based design consultancy Dalziel+Pow have just come out with their top 10 global department store destinations. It’s an interesting list, with some familiar players, and some less so.

Here are the firm’s picks:

Retailers share online insights

Speakers at the recent Internet Retailer Conference & Exposition in Chicago discussed how the retail industry is using a number of digital technologies to assist performance in areas such as CRM, marketing, driving customer traffic and converting sales. Following are a few brief highlights:

New York -- Luxury department store operator Neiman Marcus Inc. on Monday disclosed plans for a proposed public offering of up to $100 million.

The retailer’s plan, announced in a regulatory filing, comes some eight years after it was acquired for $5.1 billion by private equity firms TPG Capital and Warburg Pincus. In its filing, Neiman Marcus indicated a desire to expand its outlet center concept, Last Call, which currently operates 35 locations.

Sak’s and Nordstrom have aggressively expanded their off price formats in recent years and now Neiman Marcus wants a bigger piece of the action.