As world leaders gather in Glasgow for the COP26 climate change summit, Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) has announced a series of new and expanded partnerships to support its sustainability efforts. The luxury retail conglomerate — which owns the Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman brands, among others — has acquired a minority stake in resale platform Fashionphile, partnered with Give Back Box to let customers donate items they no longer want, and joined the nonprofit Textile Exchange to promote fashion industry standards for sustainable materials.
In 2019, NMG joined forces with handbag and accessories reseller Fashionphile to roll out an integrated circularity program that included the debut of six Fashionphile locations inside Neiman Marcus stores. Customer who sell their luxury products to Fashionphile have the option of receiving payment in the form of a Neiman Marcus gift card and receive a 10% discount on the gift card value. Now, NMG has acquired a minority stake in Fashionphile and plans to open Fashionphile Selling Studios in an additional nine stores over the next nine months.
NMG also has teamed up with Give Back Box to let Neiman Marcus customers donate items they no longer use to someone in need. The partnership will launch with a letter in more than 50,000 online shipments during the retailer’s “Give Big” holiday campaign. To participate, customers can reuse the box their Neiman Marcus order arrived in; fill it with gently used clothing, accessories and shoes they’d like to donate; print a free, prepaid shipping label at GiveBackBox.com; and schedule a pickup or drop off the box at any UPS, USPS or FedEx location. Give Back Box will direct customers’ donations to local charities and provide NMG with real-time impact reporting on how many pounds of cardboard and clothes have been recycled.
Finally, NMG has became a member of Textile Exchange, a nonprofit organization that develops and promotes industry standards for sustainable fabrics, with the goal of reducing the CO2 emissions from textile fiber and material production 45% by 2030. Textile Exchange will provide insights and education to NMG’s merchants and brand partners as the retailer seeks to increase revenue from sustainable and ethical products. NMG is the first North American luxury retailer to join Textile Exchange, alongside brands from other luxury groups including LVMH and Kering.
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“Now more than ever, environmental sustainability is top of mind for fashion and retail industries,” said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of the Neiman Marcus Group in a statement. “NMG is taking action and driving change while we continue to revolutionize the ultimate luxury experience. As our team works to finalize the anticipated 2025 ESG [Environmental, Social and Governance] strategy, the company is looking forward to helping build a better future for our industry.”
