Dive Brief:
- Amid the retailer's turnaround, Neiman Marcus has launched its 2021 Christmas Book catalog as part of its "Celebrate Big, Love Even Bigger" holiday campaign, the department store announced on Wednesday.
- First published in 1926 as a 16-page booklet, this year's will feature 200 pages of holiday gifts. In the Fantasy Gifts section of the catalog, which is in its 62nd year, the retailer will showcase items such as fine jewelry, books and a trip to Portugal, per the announcement.
- The retailer's Christmas Book is distributed to about 750,000 homes globally.
Dive Insight:
For retailers and brands attempting to entice consumers this holiday season, print catalogs are back in vogue. Sam's Club sent out its first holiday catalog earlier this month. Digitally savvy direct-to-consumer brands have also integrated physical catalogs into their outreach plans.
Retailers have long been attracted to print catalogues for their holiday marketing strategies in part because of the appeal of a physical booklet. In August, Neiman Marcus reintroduced the physical version of The Book as part of its "Re-Introduce Yourself" campaign, featuring Chloe's Gabriella Hearst and Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Louis Vuitton.
The 2021 Fantasty Gifts this year include a 30.86-carat Mughal Heart Diamond, which comes with a bonus of naming the stone via the Gemological Institute of America ($6.1 million), a Roaring '20s party by Bronson Van Wyck for 20 people at the Apollo Theater ($395,000) and a ski trip with international champion skier Lindsey Vonn for six people ($235,000).
Online shoppers will also be able to purchase curated gift boxes, which are collections organized by theme and run from $82 to $4,458. It is the first year that the department store is offering these box sets, which are meant to "take the guesswork out of shopping for the hard-to-buy-for," per the announcement.
"There is plenty to feel joyful about, and we wanted to channel that into The Christmas Book and our Celebrate Big campaign for our customers to experience with us," Lana Todorovich, president and chief merchandising officer at Neiman Marcus, said in a statement. "From our assortment of extraordinary gifts — including legendary Fantasy Gifts — to our in-store gifting lounges and experiences, we're prepared to help our customers make this one of the most special holidays as we return to celebrating in person again with our families and friends."
As Neiman Marcus prepares for the busiest season of the year, the retailer is in the midst of an ongoing turnaround effort. Last year, the company exited bankruptcy via a court-approved plan to get rid of $4 billion in debt and $200 million in interest costs. Several months after exiting Chapter 11, the retailer said it would be investing about $500 million in multiple tech ventures over the next three years, starting with its acquisition of cloud-based style-as-a-service platform Stylyze.
