Herbert Marcus Sr. Harris and Co. Rather than take a chance on an unknown "sugary soda pop business," the three entrepreneurs rejected the fledgling Coca-Cola company [ 3 ] and chose instead to return to Dallas to establish a retail business.
For this reason, early company CEO Peb Atera was quoted in as saying in jest that Neiman Marcus was "founded on bad business judgment. Within a few weeks, the store's initial inventory, mostly acquired on a buying trip to New York made by Carrie, was completely sold out. Oil-rich Texans, welcoming the opportunity to flaunt their wealth in more sophisticated fashion than was previously possible, flocked to the new store.
In spite of the Panic of set off only a few weeks after its opening, Neiman Marcus was instantly successful, and its first several years of operation were quite profitable. In , a fire destroyed the Neiman Marcus store and all of its merchandise. A temporary store was opened for 17 days. With the opening of the flagship Neiman Marcus Building , the store increased its product selection to include accessories, lingerie , and children's clothing, as well as expanding the women's apparel department.
In , the store expanded, and Neiman Marcus premiered the first weekly retail fashion show in the United States. A later profile of the store, "Neiman Marcus of Texas", described the "grandiose and elaborate" gala, noting: "It was on this occasion that one of the most critical among the store's guests, Mrs. Edna Woolman Chase, editor of Vogue , expressing the sentiment of the store's starry-eyed clientele, told the local press: [ 4 ]. I dreamed all my life of the perfect store for women.
Then I saw Neiman Marcus, and my dream had come true. In , the store began offering menswear. During the s and s, Neiman Marcus began to include less-expensive clothing lines along with its high-end items, in response to the Great Depression and following war years.
