steve loves Neiman Marcus

I went to the new Neiman Marcus in Charlotte over the weekend with my mom. You can see the pictures at LiveMalls.

Neiman Marcus is one of my favorite stores and SouthPark is one of my favorite malls. I’ve been waiting for years for this store, and it did not disappoint.

As reported earlier, The Dallas-based department store chain, known to fans as the creme de la creme of retail, opened at SouthPark on September 15. The store is Neiman Marcus' 39th property and the mall's sixth anchor.

At 80,000 square feet on two levels, this Neiman Marcus is the chain's second smallest, but if demand is high enough, company officials anitipating adding a third shopping level in as soon as next year.

Neiman's decor oozes opulence. The walls are covered with 151 original works of art commissioned from 19 regional artists. The Charlotte store even has audio-video presentations describing what you’re seeing on the walls, along with video interviews with the founders’ son, Stanley Marcus, who is one of my retail idols.

Handbags, shoes and gloves are displayed in museum-style cases. Home decor items are set against a backdrop of Venetian plaster, mosaic marble accents and beaded textured glass. And for optimum application of cosmetics, the entire store is bathed in a glow that replicates natural light.

My favorite part, to be sure, is the escalator well. Over 7,000 paper butterflies and mirrors on strings cascade from the ceiling in an opulent diplay. Even in daylight, it's a beautiful scene.

Among the amenities at NM SouthPark are a personal shopping areas with oversized fitting rooms and private customer lounge, two cosmetic treatment rooms for private personal beauty services, and a private bridal consultation area to register for bridal gifts.

The best part about NM SouthPark is that it isn't a watered-down verison. It feels every bit as nice as Neiman Marcus stores in other cities, and the merchandise is exclusive and well-chosen.

I'm not a high-end shopper (though I try), but I'm a retail fanatic. If you love good store design and above-average merchandising, you can't help but love NM.