Jerome Nemiro, 85; Innovative Retail Executive Transformed the Bullocks Wilshire Chain
Jerome M. Nemiro, the retailing executive who took the apostrophe out of the Bullocks Wilshire department stores and worked to preserve the landmark 1929 Art Deco building where the sophisticated chain began, has died. He was 85.
Nemiro died Friday in Los Angeles after suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several years, said his son, Guy.
As president of Bullocks Wilshire from 1974 to 1987, Nemiro worked to set the upscale store apart from its parent chain Bullock’s and the other Federated Department Stores. After his retirement, Federated merged Bullocks Wilshire with I. Magnin, which later merged into the Macy’s store group.
Nemiro also strove to preserve the storied Wilshire Boulevard emporium, now the law library of Southwestern University School of Law, by restoring gold leaf ornamentation, period furniture and murals.
He displayed the building and its fabled Tea Room as an artistic and architectural showcase, hosting several fashion shows and other fundraising events for various charities.
After ordering the apostrophe painted out of the logo shortly after he arrived in town, Nemiro turned his attention to Bullocks Wilshire shoppers, finding ways to keep upscale traditional clients while attracting younger customers.
Known for his ability to assess the changing tastes of the complex Los Angeles market, he staged innovative promotions for merchandise from England, Italy, France and Mexico, and created boutiques for fashion brands such as Sonia Rykiel, Ferragamo and Guerlain.
Under Nemiro, Bullocks Wilshire expanded from three to seven stores, initiated a mail-order catalog business and increased volume sales.
Born in Portland, Ore., Nemiro began his retailing career there working for Olds Worthman & King and later Lipmans in the 1930s. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
In 1949, Nemiro joined May D&F; stores, a division of May Co., in Denver as a divisional merchandise manager. Over 25 years with the Denver operation, he rose to president, chief executive and finally chairman.
Nemiro told Women’s Wear Daily at his retirement in 1987 that, in his more than 50 years of retailing, the greatest change he experienced was the advent of computers.
“It might be impossible to have a chain of stores without the computer and its facility to know what is happening at each branch. Your inventory would be out of whack and your expenses would be impossible to ascertain,” he told the trade publication. “The next most significant thing to happen will be purchasing department store merchandise from your home or office via catalogs or television.”
Nemiro was active in several charitable organizations. He served on the boards of the Friends of the School Volunteer Program of the Los Angeles Unified School District, UCLA International Student Center, Southwestern University-UCLA School of Law Board of Visitors, Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising and Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design.
Nemiro was married to Beverly Anderson from 1951 until they divorced in 1974. In addition to his son Guy of Los Angeles, he is survived by his wife of 19 years, the former Dolores Naar; two daughters, Lee Ganey of Enid, Okla., and Dee Van Romer of Clemson, S.C.; three stepchildren, Sharman Miller of Sherman Oaks, and Andy and Peter Naar, both of Los Angeles; and 10 grandchildren.
Memorial services are pending. The family asks that any memorial donations be sent to SHARE Inc., P.O. Box 1342, Beverly Hills, CA 90213; or to the National Jewish Hospital, 1400 Jackson St., Denver, CO 80206.
