Dallas Shop Talk

London-born retailer shocks shoppers with quick move to Galleria Dallas

After only a year and a half in the Plaza at Preston Center, Aftershock London’s U.S. flagship store is relocating to a new home at Galleria Dallas in the fourth quarter of 2014. A to-be-announced Texas-based retailer will take over the Plaza space.

Imran Sheikh, managing partner of the U.S. arm of the brand, cites “real estate strategy” as the reason for the move. According to a statement, Aftershock “made a conscious decision to test a more localized, destination shopping arena“ but has sought out a new spot with more foot traffic.

“Our 19 million annual visitors will enjoy the affordable glamour so associated with the Aftershock London brand,” adds Galleria Dallas general manager Angie Freed. Aftershock London has undergone its first major re-brand in more than a decade, and the Galleria location is the first to reflect the new scheme.

Sheikh also promises the brand will continue to integrate with the local community by donating to charities and schools and hosting in-store events for them. “A key focus for us has been respecting the values of Dallas and doing our utmost to integrate into the community,” he says. “We are proud to call Dallas our home and continue our growth at Galleria Dallas.”

The Plaza store will close a week to 10 days before the Galleria location opens. In addition to a new retailer in this particular space, the Plaza at Preston Center has welcomed a slew of shops as of late, including Riffraff and Anteks Curated. It was also our host in the first-ever CultureMap Stylemaker Awards.

Aftershock London hopes to reach a broader range of shoppers at the Galleria.

Photo courtesy of The Galleria Dallas

Aftershock London hopes to reach a broader range of shoppers at the Galleria.

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An Institution Gone

Neiman Marcus to close downtown Dallas store after more than 100 years

Neiman Marcus location in downtown Dallas

Photo courtesy of Saks Global

The longtime location of Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas will close on March 31, 2025.

After more than a century, Dallas-based luxury retailer Neiman Marcus is closing its flagship store in downtown Dallas at 1618 Main St.

The store, which has been open since 1914 and served as a bedrock for downtown, will close due to a dispute with the building's landlord, according to a release from Saks Global, the owner of the company.

“After more than a decade of negotiations, we received a notice from a landlord to terminate our occupancy, forcing us to close the Neiman Marcus Downtown Dallas location effective March 31, 2025," said aSaks Global spokesperson in a statement. "This location has been a beloved institution in the community for more than a century, and we are disappointed to be losing a piece of Neiman Marcus history."

Also closing will be the Zodiac Room, the store's venerable cafe, an enduring and beloved pioneer that helped pave the way for an entire generation of boutique cafes such as Mirador, which opened at the Forty Five Ten store in downtown Dallas in 2017, and Cafe Dior by Dominique Crenn, opening soon at the Dior boutique at Highland Park Village.

The closure leaves Neiman Marcus with three DFW-area locations: NorthPark Center, the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano, and the Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth.

Despite the closing, the statement expressed their commitment to the Dallas market, specifically with improvements to the location at NorthPark Center.

"We’re excited to share plans for a $100 million renovation to reimagine our shopping experience at our NorthPark store, enabling us to offer a new level of luxury fashion and service at one of our premier store locations," the statement said.

Employees at the downtown store will be offered opportunities to transfer to other locations, where possible, with separation packages for those eligible.

The closure of the iconic location at the corner of Main and Ervay Street comes just a few days after it was announced that Neiman Marcus would be closing their Dallas headquarters.

HBC, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, acquired Neiman Marcus in 2024 for $2.65 billion. The brand now lies under the umbrella of the newly-created Saks Global, which also includes Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH, and Bergdorf Goodman.

According to a memo sent to employees by Saks Global Operating Group CEO Marc Metrick, which was acquired by The Dallas Morning News, the closure was not prompted by poor sales.

"From as early as 2011 and as recently as December 2024, there have been several attempts to come to a commercially reasonable agreement with this landlord," Metrick said in the memo. “All of these attempts have been rejected by the landlord who has now terminated our occupancy.”

“We appreciate how much this location means to so many and are disappointed to be losing a piece of our history due to circumstances beyond our control,” Metrick said. “This includes The Zodiac Room whose famous recipes will continue to inspire menus at other locations.”

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