50 | DECEMBER 15 • 2022 

SPOTLIGHT

L

arry Maloff appreciates excellent cus-
tomer service — so much so that he 
has devoted his career to it.
This past July, Maloff celebrated his 30th 
year of employment at Neiman Marcus at 
the Somerset Collection in Troy — and is 
going on 49 years total in retail. 
His understanding of the world of retail, 
and elevated customer service, comes 
naturally to him: His mom worked retail 
at stores like Lane Bryant at Northland 
and Marianne at Tel-12; his grandmother 
worked at Steven’s at Northland.
On weekends, Maloff’s father, who 
owned a cab, was a hot-dog vendor at 
Detroit’s Tiger Stadium, where he landed 
Maloff and his brother the jobs of selling 
dripping Coke and sticky cotton candy to 
hungry fans. “It was such a thrill being at 
Tiger Stadium,
” he says of his first working 
experience. 
After graduating from Oak Park High 
School, Maloff earned an associate’s degree 
at Oakland Community College while 
working his first official retail position at 
E.J. Korvette’s in Southfield. 
“Korvette’s was unionized, 
so at age 18 or 19, I was 
bringing home a lot of 
money,
” Maloff says. “I 
really give kudos to them 
— they inspired me with 
the passion and drive to 
stay in retail.
”
Maloff soon mar-
ried, and he and his 

wife, four months pregnant, celebrated their 
first anniversary with a trip to Las Vegas. 
They made a visit to the Texas-based high-
end department store Neiman Marcus on 
the Strip. “We fell in love with the children’s 
department, and Neiman’s,
” Maloff says. 
“We bought our entire layette there, and 
they packed it up and sent it to us. A won-
derful lady waited on us, and she was so 
helpful and genuine. She wrote us a beau-
tiful thank-you note, and even called us to 
see how the nursery looked.
“I was so impressed with this lady who 
spent so much time with us,
” he says. 
“There was something very special about 
Neiman’s — I told my wife that if ever 
Neiman Marcus came to Michigan, I want-
ed to work for that company.
”
Little did he know that just three years 
later, in 1991, he would be chosen from 
among thousands of applicants to work in 

any department he wanted at the company’s 
newest location. Starting on his best foot, 
his late mother-in-law treated him to a new 
wardrobe. 
“I watched the transformation of the old 
Somerset Mall [in Troy] into the most beau-
tiful collection of designer stores, anchored 
by Saks 5th Ave. and Neiman’s,
” Maloff 
says. Because of his passion for men’s fash-
ion, he chose men’s shoes, and over the 
years watched as what began as a four-tier 
department transformed into an expansion 
that runs throughout the entire men’s com-
plex, offering designers including Christian 
Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Versace, 
Valentino and more.
“Opening the store — stocking the 
shelves, looping ties, readying for custom-
ers — was one of the most exciting times in 
my life.
“
After several months, my boss asked me 

Larry Maloff celebrates 30 years at Neiman Marcus.
A Perfect Fit

LYNNE KONSTANTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

LARRY MALOFF’S TOP PICKS 
FOR THE HOLIDAYS

• Dior shoes
• Moncler jackets
• Burberry accessories
• Ugg products
• Christian Louboutins shoes and accessories

YEVGENIYA GAZMAN

Burberry 
Logo Wool 
Football 
Scarf

Larry 
Maloff

