Saks Global is doubling down on its decision to close the historic Neiman Marcus flagship in downtown Dallas. Last week, Saks officials said the decision to close the flagship was due to an inability to come to lease terms with a landlord over a small piece of the property. But on Thursday, Saks appeared to be including the flagship’s business prospects as a factor in closing the store.
In its statement on efforts to resolve the issue, Saks cited “the slow resurgence of the downtown Dallas area over the last several years” and a preference among customers to shop the Neiman Marcus store in NorthPark Center, which is also in Dallas. More from WWD Ian Putnam, chief executive officer of Saks Global Properties and Investments, said in the statement, “The claims that the store will remain open are misleading for the Dallas community, our store employees and our brand partners. Saks Global inherited this lease issue from Neiman Marcus’ previous owners and worked in good faith to come to an agreement with the landlord, who chose to terminate our occupancy.
We acknowledge the position of the Dallas Consortium, particularly given the slow resurgence of the downtown Dallas area over the last several years, and are willing to hear their perspective. However, we have to make decisions as a business about what’s best for the future and our long-term success in Dallas and beyond.” A meeting between a representative from Saks Global and the Dallas Consortium, which is a group .
