What: Von Maur is a relatively important, albeit not so famous, department store chain in the US.

Why it is important: They have a capital structure which is similar to many IADS members’, as well as an approach which is quite different from the other US players from this market.

WWD interviews Jim Von Maur, CEO of the 150-years-old Von Maur US department store chain and representative of the fourth generation of the founding family. The company has had 4 CEOs over 150 years.

According to him, such a longevity is due to the avoidance of overexpansion, over-reliance on sales, and avoidance of debt. It represents today 36 department stores and 70 “Dry Goods” women’s specialty chain, and claims to achieve $1 bn in sales with $200 per square foot (i.e. $20 per square meter, on average), all in Midwest and South of the US.

The company relies on “good old recipes” to keep the business sustainable: sales associates nurturing a direct relationship to customers (in a low-tech mode), limited markdown policy (raising the question of the e-commerce competition), strong curated selection, and digital expansion (10% of sales, to be compared with 40% at Nordstrom).

Von Maur A Family Business With Tradition, Service and 150 Years of History