Neiman Marcus

Ontario, Calif. -- Last Call by Neiman Marcus will open a first-to-market store in May 2012 at Ontario Mills, a Simon-owned property that is the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in California with more than 200 stores.

Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Taubman Centers has unveiled a comprehensive holiday program for its Mall at Short Hills, in Short Hills, N.J.

From now through the end of the 2011 holiday season, the mall – which features Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and 160 retailers – is showcasing the season with such offerings as an Ice Palace, a free, multi-sensory exhibit with falling snow, interactive elements, footage of arctic animals and landscapes, an Ice Princess and a visit to Santa Claus.

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus announced Thursday that it had entered into agreements with Visa and MasterCard to begin, effective Nov. 1, accepting MasterCard and Visa credit, debit and prepaid cards at all 41 Neiman Marcus stores.

The luxury retailer had long been criticized for accepting only its private-label credit cards, American Express and cash.

"We listened to our customers and heard that they wanted more flexibility in their payment choices," said Karen Katz, president and CEO, Neiman Marcus.
 

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus said Thursday it has launched its first-ever foursquare challenge to take place on Oct. 1 in conjunction with the department store retailer’s Shoe & Handbag Event.

Los Angeles -- A Tuesday report by CNN Money, citing a regulatory filing, said that private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners is raising $5 billion for its sixth private equity fund.

Leonard Green’s current retail portfolio includes Sports Authority, Neiman Marcus and Whole Foods, with plans underway to add BJ's Wholesale Club to its holdings.

According to the report, the SEC filing does not confirm that the firm has closed on any money as of yet.
 

Short Hills, N.J. -- The Mall at Short Hills, in Short Hills, N.J., is now home to new retailers Omega and Pandora, which opened recently in the regional shopping center. Omega opened a flagship store near Nordstrom on the upper level, and jeweler Pandora opened on the lower level near Macy’s.

San Jose, Calif. -- Online auctioneer eBay said Monday it has launched a virtual outlet mall in the United States it is calling Fashion Outlet.

The virtual mall will allow users to access discounted apparel and accessories across brands and retailer banners. Featured brands and banners include BCBG, Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers, Last Call and Timberland.

According to eBay’s head of global fashion Miriam Lahage, the company is leveraging the burgeoning popularity of the outlet category as the fastest-growing retail channel.

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus Group reported a fiscal fourth-quarter loss on debt-related expense and slightly lower margins, even as its revenue rose 11%.

For the quarter ended July 30, Neiman Marcus lost $61.4 million, compared with a year-earlier loss of $32.8 million. Excluding a $42.7 million after-tax loss on debt extinguishment, the adjusted loss was $18.7 million. Gross margin narrowed to 30.5% from 30.9%.