As the retail industry embraces technology, the consumer now has the power to buy pretty much anything on their mobile devices with just a few taps. Luxury stores are also leaning into this shift by creating unique, upscale experiences online for each customer.
"Luxury for us is all in the experience we deliver," Geoffroy Van Raemdonck, CEO of Neiman Marcus, told Cheddar.
As the 2019 holiday shopping season gets underway, Raemdonck reported that the retailer did well online during Black Friday, finding a greater demand than last year, although Cyber Monday "started a little softer."
The "softer" start might have been a reflection of how the retailer promoted its Cyber Monday sale. "We're not too concerned about that. We actually plan on Cyber Monday to be less promotional. At Neiman Marcus Group we focus on profitable and sustainable growth and we're willing not to chase market share," the CEO said.
To carry its well-known brand into the e-commerce space, Neiman Marcus has invested in creating personal experiences not only for in-store shoppers but also for its online users. "We have 55 personal digital stylists that are personal shoppers who will curate assortments to you and potentially come to your home to deliver them," Raemdonck said. The company plans to continue using technology and data to build a better relationship with customers.
"The power of data multiplied by artificial intelligence and machine learning allows us to personalize the experience much better, and I see substantial growth for a company like us," he added.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
