Through its newly formed "Neiman Marcus Idea Factory," the luxury retailer begins to unleash an array of concepts, products and experiences — from piercing and personalizing of fashion products by graffiti artists, to candle-making, epicure and custom-mixing beauty creams of your own — not traditionally found in bricks-and-mortar department stores. Much of the phase one activity, rolling out in the coming weeks, involves bringing artists to the stores and enabling visitors to engage with them and have them personalize and customize sportswear, jeans, jackets and accessories, with artwork. For phase two, which ramps up in September, "We're identifying concepts in epicure, food and beverage, travel, personal and family wellness, and social consciousness," said Ed Burstell, Neiman's senior vice president, product innovation.

Burstell is leading the Neiman Marcus Idea Factory, essentially an incubator for rolling out fresh ideas, experiences and exclusives, and thinking about Neiman's as more than just a luxury store for designer goods and posh services. It's an effort to connect with a wider base of customers and increase traffic and relevancy in a world where people are shopping and spending differently.

Read full article on "Neiman's Idea Factory" from WWD