The Ledger
Every statement that passed quotation and attribution checks. Mix any filter with any other: certainty 1/5, debate potential 5/5, or both at once.
why aren't all 17 resolved? a statement only gets an assessment when the public record can support or contradict it. opinions and what-ifs never can, and 0 checkable ones are still open, waiting for their date. predictions held up or didn't; assertions are supported or contradicted. on every card: ▮▮▮▮▮ certainty · ▮▮▮▮▮ debate potential. speakers are clickable
Hyman: Wardrobing return rate was 70% at Neiman Marcus, 35% at Macy's
“The theft rate, so the rent the runway rate at Macy's is only 35%, whereas at Neiman Marcus it's 70%, proving once and for all rich people steal more than poor people.”
Blakely Paid Friends to Fake Retail Momentum at Neiman Marcus
“First of all, I paid people basically friends to go buy the product and create a buzz about it because I was like, you know, I gotta have these things move off the shelf or the buyer's not gonna give me any more chance.”
Bobbi Brown Cosmetics was outselling Estée Lauder at Neiman Marcus in 1995
“You are beating us In the stores, and we were beating Estee Lauder and Neiman Marcus at the time.”
Bobbi Brown Cosmetics outsold Estée Lauder at Neiman Marcus
“We were beating Estee Lauder and Neiman Marcus at the time.”
Blakely Secretly Put Target Envelope Stands at Neiman Marcus Registers
“Well, I went to Target, and I bought stands, you know, for envelopes. And I ran around the store and put them at every cash register, and everybody thought somebody else approved it, so they kept them there for a while.”
Blakely: Placed Spanx displays at Neiman Marcus registers without authorization
“Well, I went to Target, and I bought stands, you know, for envelopes, and I ran around the store and put them at every cash register, and everybody thought somebody else approved it, so they kept them there for a while.”
Blakely: Paid friends to buy Spanx at Neiman Marcus to create buzz
“I paid people, basically friends, to go buy the product and create a buzz about it because I was like, you know, I gotta have these things move off the shelf or the buyer's not gonna give me any more chance.”
Blakely: Assuming Retail Placement Equals Success Is Founders' Biggest Mistake
“Oh my gosh, that is the biggest mistake that entrepreneurs make. That is when the work begins.”
Blakely: Thinking retail placement equals success is founders' biggest mistake
“Oh my gosh, that is the biggest mistake that entrepreneurs make. That is when the work begins.”
Rent the Runway rented current-season inventory at 5-10% of retail
“You can imagine we were renting current season designer inventory for five to 10% of the price at the exact same time that it was at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus and Saks and Net-a-Porter for sale.”
Hyman: Neiman Marcus president was my second pitch cold call
“The second person I cold called was the president of Neiman Marcus. And I decided that I would go straight into kind of the belly of the beast, the person who was most likely to destroy me. I cold called him, and I shared the idea for Rent the Runway with him.”
A 50-store department store rollout quadrupled Kate Spade's business
“Either Neiman's or Saks, they were buying for two or three stores, and they said, we're going to buy for all of our stores. And that was 50 stores, or more than 50 stores, and that quadrupled our business.”
Department store expansion to 50 locations quadrupled Kate Spade's business overnight
“Either Neiman's or Saks, they were buying for two or three stores, and they said, we're going to buy for all of our stores. And that was 50 stores, or more than 50 stores, and that quadrupled our business.”