Neiman Marcus ups commitment to resale, sustainability efforts

Neiman Marcus Group is expanding its activities in the retail resale vertical, as well as in support of its environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy.

As a part of its forthcoming 2025 ESG strategy, the luxury retailer plans to open in-store Fashionphile outlets across nine more Neiman Marcus locations in the next nine months. Neiman Marcus acquired a minority stake in Fashionphile, an online retailer of previously-owned ultra-luxury handbags, jewelry and accessories, in April 2019.

New Fashionphile locations will include Neiman Marcus stores in Boca Raton, King of Prussia, Atlanta, and Austin opening in fall 2021; followed by San Antonio, Las Vegas, Topanga, Troy, and Northbrook opening in spring 2022. Since its inception, the partnership has seen six Fashionphile locations open inside of Neiman Marcus stores in Palo Alto, San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Fashion Island, NorthPark Dallas, and Scottsdale). Neiman Marcus and Fashionphile now issue Neiman Marcus gift cards as an optional payment method to all customers who sell their luxury products to Fashionphile.

In addition, Neiman Marcus recently became a member of Textile Exchange, a nonprofit organization that develops and promotes industry standards for preferred fibers. The organization encourages the adoption of sustainable materials across the global fashion and textile industry to reduce CO2 emissions from textile fiber and material production by 45% by 2030.

Neiman Marcus is also launching a partnership with Give Back Box, a company that sends donations to local charities. To participate, customers can reuse the box their Neiman Marcus order arrived in; fill it with any used clothing, accessories, and shoes they'd like to donate; print their free, prepaid shipping label at GiveBackBox.com; seal their box; attach the shipping label; and schedule a pick-up or drop off the box at any UPS, USPS, or FedEx location.

Give Back Box will direct customers' donations to local charities and provide Neiman Marcus Group with real-time impact reporting on pounds of cardboard and clothes recycled. Neiman Marcus is announcing the partnership via a customer letter in over 50,000 Neiman Marcus online shipments ordered during the brand's "Give Big" holiday campaign. For more information on the program with Give Back Box, visit neimanmarcus.com/editorial/services/give-back-box.

"Now more than ever, environmental sustainability is top of mind for fashion and retail industries. Neiman Marcus Group is taking action and driving change while we continue to revolutionize the ultimate luxury experience," said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO, Neiman Marcus Group. "As our team works to finalize the anticipated 2025 ESG strategy, the Company is looking forward to helping build a better future for our industry with help from amazing partners such as Give Back Box, Textile Exchange, and Fashionphile."

"We are very excited and proud to be launching a program with Neiman Marcus,” said Monika Wiela, CEO/founder of Give Back Box. “We do believe the impact created together will go far beyond just the life cycle of clothing, and we are looking forward to creating impact and inspiring people to help others and do good this holiday season."

"We are delighted that Neiman Marcus Group has joined Textile Exchange as a partner-level member,” said Claire Bergkamp, COO of Textile Exchange. “Neiman Marcus Group is synonymous with luxury merchandise and has the power to change their directly controlled products and influence on a much larger scale. It takes leaders such as Neiman Marcus being committed to scaling preferred fibers and materials to evoke the industry-wide change we need."