Minding the Store

In this reprint of a memoir that chronicles his work for the Neiman Marcus retailing enterprise from 1926 through the early 1970s, Stanley Marcus details his business philosophy and shows how it developed from the strong influence of his father. In a Credo, he provides a brief summary of his philosophy of life, and describes the controversy generated by his decision to support a group of high school students suspended from a Dallas school in 1966 for wearing long hair. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

"There is never a good sale for Neiman Marcus unless it's a good buy for the customer... was one of the first declarations of business philosophy I heard my father, Herbert Marcus, make soon after I came to work at Neiman Marcus in 1926. It was reiterated so many times that it became established as an article of faith in my mind....This was his way of practicing the Golden Rule, and now, almost seventy years since the founding of Neiman Marcus, the same policy prevails."

Thus began the 1974 edition of Minding the Store and thus begins this 1997 facsimile edition, published in celebration of the 90th Anniversary of Neiman Marcus.

Mr.Marcus has spent most of his life not only helping to create a retailing enterprise renowned throughout the world as the epitome of quality, but also in setting high standards for the level of taste of all who desire "the better things in life" and in doing so has played a key role in making Dallas itself a success. "Mr.Stanley," as he is affectionately called by all his Neiman Marcus friends and associates, has made Neiman Marcus a legendary success.

Although he retired from active involvement in Neiman Marcus in 1977, the influences of the philosophies of business he developed remain an important part of the training of Neiman Marcus personnel. Those basic principles-best exemplified by his belief in his father's business philosophy-are the reasons Neiman Marcus is today recognized as the taste leader of American retailing.

Minding the Store is a warm portrait of a man and an exuberant celebration of the store that has become the best-known landmark in Texas since the Alamo.