Regional division retailer Von Maur is on a mission to convey extra manufacturers to buyers within the heartland.
The retailer, based in 1872 in Davenport, Iowa, has been on a gradual and regular development trajectory at a time when different shops like Macy’s and Nordstrom are closing shops or struggling to develop internet gross sales.
Von Maur usually opens one or two new shops per yr, however it has been additional investing in its footprint and coming into new states over the previous few years. The retailer now has 39 bodily areas throughout 15 states and most lately opened its first retailer in North Dakota in April. All areas are at present present process a transform, a part of a five-year, $100 million building venture introduced in 2024. The privately-held firm doesn’t disclose its income.
As a rising, regional participant, Von Maur has been getting extra curiosity from manufacturers seeking to attain prospects in secondary or tertiary cities the place they might not have already got an enormous wholesale presence. These manufacturers run the gamut from buzzy, Instagram-native startup manufacturers to extra established gamers. In 2024, for instance, Von Maur introduced on out of doors gear model L.L. Bean. As a division retailer, Von Maur is continually seeking to convey on new manufacturers in a variety of classes, together with attire, footwear and wonder.
Pleasure Place, the merchandising vp at Von Maur, stated the retailer’s strategy to merchandising tends to be extra targeted on curation than quantity. Place stated the Von Maur buyer usually expects the retailer to reveal them to new manufacturers and merchandise.
Place considers Von Maur a specialty division retailer. “We don’t do a number of gross sales [discounts] and don’t have non-public labels in any respect, which is fairly unprecedented within the business,” she stated.
“Our shops are typically out in good suburban areas,” Place stated, with prospects usually procuring ceaselessly and constantly, typically coming again a number of occasions per week. Place added that many of those loyal buyers are households and grew up going to Von Maur.
The truth that the corporate is privately-held and family-owned, Place stated, provides her extra flexibility in approaching distributors. “There are a number of selections that I’m capable of make to maintain evolving our combination on the ground,” she stated. “And we [the merchandise team] don’t have all these totally different layers of approval to undergo.”
Place stated the merchandising division seeks new manufacturers from numerous sources, whether or not it’s by means of social media buzz or private expertise. “My staff and I are at all times procuring,” Place stated.
The problem is to constantly introduce newness to maintain prospects coming in frequently. That features in search of out distinctive assortments that prospects can’t simply discover at different retailers. For instance, Place stated that, up to now yr, Von Maur introduced on Chicago-based footwear model Azalea Wang. “They’ve actually colourful designs like embellished cowboy boots, which had been main final fall,” stated Place.
Place additionally pointed to Baseball Way of life 101, an attire model geared at younger baseball followers, which was dropped at her consideration by her son. “That’s a social media-focused model that matches effectively in our boys’ and younger males’s areas,” Place stated. “We didn’t have the rest like that on the ground, and it’s doing extraordinarily effectively.”
In different instances, Von Maur will convey on a brand new model to plug a white house in its present assortment. In spring 2025, Von Maur introduced in on-line trend model Lulus, which Place stated carried out effectively amongst its prospects because of its affordable value level and number of female items.
Direct-to-consumer bag model Dagne Dover launched in Von Maur earlier this month to achieve an untapped viewers outdoors of the coasts. “That got here from my private want for a backpack,” Place stated. After looking out on-line extensively, she landed on one of many model’s designs and determined to achieve out to them for wholesale distribution. “Their designs have the performance, and the neoprene is one thing no one was doing.”
One among Von Maur’s most engaging choices for manufacturers is that it tends to place their merchandise in all areas in a short time after launch, versus testing one market at a time. “After we put a model in all areas, it’s as a result of we all know it’s a great match for the client based mostly on suggestions and requests from our retailer associates,” Place stated.
In July, jewellery model Ana Luisa started rolling out in all Von Maur shops throughout the Midwest. Ana Luisa’s vp of wholesale, Brad Owings, stated the corporate is tapping shops as a solution to achieve publicity amongst non-DTC buyers.
Ana Luisa, based in 2017, is now constructing out its wholesale presence alongside opening its personal shops. “Retailers like Von Maur assist give credibility to our model,” Owings stated. “Their consumers are savvy and keep on prime of tendencies of what’s new and scorching.”
Ana Luisa is providing a spread of its bestselling merchandise at Von Maur, which Owings stated is supposed to enchantment to a variety of their prospects. “Our product vary is for everybody from youngsters to 70-year-olds,” whether or not it’s a buyer in New York, Los Angeles or the center of the nation, he stated.
Owings stated Ana Luisa’s Von Maur launch has been successful since rolling out in 20 areas through the preliminary part. “They [Von Maur] anticipated to see a 6.7% flip price, and we overindexed and noticed a ten.8% ROI,” he stated.
Even with these current model partnerships, Place stated she nonetheless faces challenges when reaching out to executives at what she refers to as “Instagram manufacturers,” as some messages go ignored as a result of they’ve by no means been to a Von Maur. “I actually educate them on what we will supply.”
“It’s a little disheartening at occasions, as a result of there may be actually no retailer that does what we do,” Place added. “Hopefully that modifications, as a result of I consider us as somewhat hidden gem.”
