Upscale retailer Neiman Marcus signed an e-commerce partner deal with
CondeNet’s upcoming Style.com, which will be the online portal
for the CondeNast and Fairchild Consumer Magazine Division fashion
publications Vogue and W.
NeimanMarcus.com will serve as the
exclusive online resource for various upscale brands in women’s apparel and
accessories for Style.com. Financial arrangements were not disclosed.
Style.com is expected to launch Monday. In November, an edited assortment of
merchandise chosen through a collaboration between Neiman Marcus and
Style.com will be available for sale. The entire shopping experience from
selection to checkout will be on Style.com in a specially created co-branded
area on the site.
Neiman Marcus.com will manage inventory and process and ship customers’
orders from its distribution facility in Irving, TX.
“the alliance of NeimanMarcus.com and Style.com positions the companies as a
fashion powerhouse ” said Goli Sheikholeslami, managing director of
Style.com.
“NeimanMarcus.com was the first specialty retailer to offer the finest in
luxury and designer merchandise on the Internet,” said Karen Katz, president
and CEO of Neiman Marcus Direct. “By joining forces with Style.com, we will
leverage the strength of both companies with upscale consumers.”
“We’ve taken everything we have learned in five years and are applying it to
the most recognized franchise our company holds,” said Sarah Chubb, president
of CondeNet.
NeimanMarcus.com, launched in October 1999, offers a collection of designer
merchandise and luxury brands, many available online exclusively through NM’s
Web site. The online store includes the NM Virtual Studio/Personal Shopper
Program, which makes available all the inventory from its largest store,
24-hour instant customer assistance via real time online chat and fractal
zoom for up-close looks at details.
CondeNet, owned by Advance Publications Inc., a privately held media company,
owns online sites for food (Epicurious), travel (Concierge), relationships
(Swoon), fitness (PHYS), and fashion (Vogue.com).