To deal with changing times and changing approaches to retail operations, Neiman Marcus Group has announced a strategy that established a collection of corporate hubs to support its integrated working philosophy, the NMG|Way of Working or NMG|WOW.
Neiman Marcus has envisioned NMG|WOW-driven organization as a network of hubs of all kinds that serve associates and their needs. Many Neiman Marcus associates have an individual working hub in their homes as one example of how the company views the operational structure. At the same time, the company considers each of its stores and distribution centers as hubs.
NMG has selected the Cityplace Tower in the Uptown area of Dallas as its hub in the city that has long hosted its headquarters. The location lies between the company’s Neiman Marcus Downtown and NorthPark flagships. As a hub, the Cityplace Neiman Marcus offices will undergo extensive renovations. The company maintained that it would outfit the space with innovative solutions to support its integrated ways of working. Neiman Marcus has scheduled the Cityplace hub to begin operations in early 2023. The company will maintain its Neiman Marcus Downtown Dallas store as its flagship with additional corporate space above the retail element.
Neiman Marcus reported that it is exploring other locations for corporate hubs where it has large associate concentrations.
The hubs are a manifestation of the NMG|WOW strategy that the company initiated in 2020. Neiman Marcus stated that the NMG|WOW empowers most corporate associates to allocate their time and choose their location based on what drives the best results. The new corporate hubs will reinforce the company’s omni work culture by creating collaborative, digital and physical spaces, meeting rooms, and workstations instead of permanent desks. The leading-edge design of the space and technology will foster teamwork, innovation, creativity and collaboration while imbuing the retailer’s NMG|WOW culture, Neiman Marcus asserted. As a digital-first retailer, the company is creating its hubs with modern technology features developed to make life extraordinary for all associates, both in-person and remote, as Neiman Marcus pointed out. It is seeing great results from this strategy, the company insisted, with retention up and time-to-hire down in fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2019. The NMG|WOW strategy allows Neiman Marcus to hire corporate talent wherever potential employees choose to live, the company added.
“Our NMG|WOW philosophy empowers our associates to work whenever, however, and wherever to achieve their best results,” said Eric Severson, executive vp and chief people and belonging officer, Neiman Marcus Group. “Our strategy is working, and we are seeing strong business performance, more productivity and satisfaction among our associates, and we are standing out among our competitors in a very challenging job market.”
