Neiman Marcus keen on Christmas in Japan

Abstract

In May 1996, NM Direct, the catalog arm of Neiman Marcus, began selling its elaborate Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog to upscale Japanese consumers. The company is mailing the same editions it mails in the US, adding only Japanese-language ordering instructions on an insert sheet, and is charging Japanese customers the same amount it charges in the US for its merchandise. Japanese orders are transmitted immediately to NM Direct's Dallas warehouse, where they are picked, packed and shipped in one day. The company puts most orders into customers' hands within a week. To get the Neiman Marcus effort off the ground, Bernie Feiwus, president and CEO of NM Direct hosted a press conference in a top-rate Tokyo hotel in April 1996.