Retail Confessions: Bergdorf Goodman, Part II
"If someone's like, 'I'm looking for The Row,' you are not going to send them down the escalator."
In today’s issue:
What it’s really like to work the sales floor at luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman.
How sales people spot difficult customers.
How much sales people earn.
Loose Threads, including Tom Ford’s 0 percent sustainability score, Gucci’s very good sustainability score, and more.
A mood of uncertainty has been lingering at Bergdorf Goodman, the luxury department store owned by Neiman Marcus, since it started looking for a buyer. Last month, Saks owner HBC announced the acquisition of Neiman Marcus, including Bergdorf, for $2.65 billion, with the help of minority investor Amazon. A salesperson who recently left Bergdorf recalled, “There was one morning when we had LVMH in the store, and it wasn't anything connected to a brand — they were literally appraising everything that was in the building. So we thought, ‘OK, they might buy us.’ It was every day. It was like, ‘We don't know what's going to happen.’”
The stress of the sale, which could alter commission pay and a host of other things, exacerbated a tense environment during a time when luxury sales were clearly slowing down.
“Retail Confessions” previously featured people who had worked in Bergdorf Goodman’s personal styling suites. Ahead, the former sales floor employee talks about what the job — and customers — are really like.
The full “Retail Confessions” archive is available to paid Back Row subscribers, and features brands like Balenciaga, Prada, Hermès, and more.
What were the most popular brands at Bergdorf?
The Row was, I want to say, one of the top five ready-to-wear brands in the entire store. At times, the salespeople stationed at The Row were so busy, you would have to take customers to other areas to try things on because the two fitting rooms that they have for that boutique weren't enough. Salespeople really gravitated toward that area, even if they weren't assigned to it, because you knew that that was going to be a good sales day.
What were The Row customers like?
Someone who works in art, for example. She's buying things like Margiela, Prada, and The Row. It's also maybe someone who likes Khaite.
One customer I had who bought The Row, anytime she would travel for business, she would stop by Bergdorf and just pick up a few things. The hard part is that sometimes I didn't have enough to sell to her. I would bring her things and she would say, “I actually already have the Gala pants in black and navy.”
What was the average purchase price for The Row customer?
Easily $10,000. You can get to it a few different ways — sell one big-ticket item or sell them a lot of different things. If you have a customer that's really devoted to one brand, then of course you're going to keep that momentum going, but it's always just figuring out, OK, add in the shoe, add in the bag — what else can you sell?
What else was popular?
The Row bags were just selling out like crazy. The Margaux we just couldn't keep in stock. There are waiting lists. I think that was on purpose. I think they can make more, but they want to create that scarcity.
How could you tell when a customer was going to drop serious cash?
