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