Stanley Marcus, chairman emeritus of upscale cataloger/retailer Neiman Marcus, died on Jan. 22. He was 96.
In 1926, at the age of 21, Marcus took over as secretary/treasurer/director of Neiman Marcus, which his father, aunt, and uncle had founded in 1907. It was during his nearly 50 years with the company that Neiman Marcus debuted its exotic, headline-grabbing “his and hers” gifts. This first his-and-hers gifts, in 1960, were a pair of Beechcraft airplanes.
In 1974, Marcus wrote “Minding the Store: A Memoir.” The next year, he retired, turning the reins over to his son, Richard C. Marcus. Stanley Marcus went on to become a retail consultant.