What: Bergdorf Goodman is rebuilding around its top sales associates, whose 40 highest-volume members generate about $200 million of annual sales, with associate and personal shopper sales up 5% this year.

Why it is important: Bergdorf's recovery rests on client relationships rather than on balance sheet repair alone, as Exemplar's own recovery plan depends on restoring brand trust, exclusives and loyalty.

Bergdorf Goodman, 125 years old, is returning to the white-glove service that once drew Hollywood stars, socialites and royalty. After surviving two bankruptcies in six years, the store emerged in June as part of Exemplar Luxury Group, alongside Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck calls the top sales associates the cornerstone of its next era.

Half of sales come from clients spending more than $10,000 a year, and many spend ten times that. The 40 highest-volume associates account for about $200 million of annual sales, around $5 million each, and sales through associates and personal shoppers are up 5% this year. The company has equipped them with an AI tool that helps preorder anticipated products, recommends items and manages client information.

The recovery also depends on product. Unpaid vendors stopped shipping under Saks Global, leaving associates with little new merchandise to show, and Chanel's return to the windows signals repaired relations. Exclusive brands, private events (one drew about 60 clients and generated $1 million) and a possible penthouse events space support the strategy, while management says there is "no immediate intent" to sell the store.

IADS Notes: Bergdorf Goodman's reliance on its top sales associates comes as its parent, Exemplar Luxury Group, rebuilds after bankruptcy. Saks Global exited Chapter 11 as Exemplar with a 75% debt reduction, new ownership and a streamlined portfolio centred on Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue (WWD, June 2026). Vendor trust sits at the core of that recovery, since delayed payments restricted inventory flow and left stores without enough product to generate cash (WWD, August 2026). The group still carries $1.2 billion in debt, targets $85 million in adjusted EBITDA this year and $9 billion in gross merchandise value by 2030, and must restore exclusives, loyalty and priority brand allocations (WWD, September 2026). Bergdorf's 125th-anniversary programme, with more than 100 designer partners and over 850 exclusive styles, serves the same objective of rebuilding prestige and brand relationships (WWD, September 2026). Client-facing talent also carries weight in distressed luxury retail: after Harvey Nichols' collapse, Frasers Group committed goodwill payments to freelance personal shoppers left unpaid and moved future payments to a monthly schedule (City AM, August 2026).

Bergdorf Goodman bets on top sales associates to return to its golden age in U.S. luxury