Brass handrails. Wide, comfortable walkways. Soothing sounds of a grand piano played live.
The atmosphere inside Omaha's Von Maur store has always radiated a kind of old-school sophistication, a refuge from the screaming sales racks and austere warehouse-style configurations of some other stores.
But the interior design, with its anachronistic sea foam green and pink color palette, was getting a bit too old, said Melody Wright, the company's chief operating officer.
Wright, who worked at the store at Westroads Mall in the late 1990s, said the store was overdue for a "top to bottom" renovation as Von Maur, like other brick-and-mortar retail stores, competes against online shopping.
The Omaha store's renovation over the next year is part of a five-year $100 million plan to renovate all the company's stores. The company operates 37 stores in 15 states.ÌýThe Von Maur store in Lincoln will be renovated in a later phase.
"It's really transitioning more into white, warm woods, a little bit more hardscape flooring and less carpet," she said.
The Omaha store is one of the most important stores in the company's portfolio, she said.
"Omaha's an extremely important market for us. We do a lot of volume in the store," she said.
Von Maur does offer online shopping. The company operates a 120,000-square-foot e-commerce facility for its online business.
But its hallmark is customer service, whether it's free gift wrapping, complimentary shipping service, clothing alterations or assistance from department experts finding just what the customer wants.
"We believe in the in-store experience," Wright said. "Our customer likes the in-store experience, and so we're going to continue to invest in our stores."
The store has always been a go-to for special occasions, whether you need a new suit for the upcoming wedding, a dress for First Communion or a new wardrobe for that new job.
But Wright said the store offers more than event shopping.
"I have men's shirts that you could probably buy for $20 that are on sale, and they're shirts that maybe would have been $80," she said. "I've got casual. I've got swim. I've got coats."
The store features products from leading brands such as Bobbi Brown, Rhone, UNRL, Good Good, Vuori, Peter Millar, TravisMathew, Hammitt, Lilly Pulitzer, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch and Marine Layer.
One reason the company can make an investment like this is the ownership, she said. The company, founded in 1872 in Davenport, Iowa, is family-owned.
"We can make decisions that are good for our customers, that are good for the long term," she said. "And it's not these short-term, knee-jerk reactions to what Wall Street says the store should or shouldn't do."
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The store remains open to customers during the renovation, which should be substantially complete by Christmas but could take until early spring 2025 to finish, Wright said.
The new look for the 180,000-square-foot store is more "residential," with materials found in many homes today, she said.
"It's warming up the store to a large degree," she said.
The way the merchandise is displayed in some departments is changing, too.
The company is moving some of the merchandise out of big, heavy wooden floor cases and displaying it in a way that lets shoppers more easily touch and feel it, she said.
For instance, she said, some customers looking for cosmetics find it intimidating to go up to a counter and ask someone to retrieve an item from a case.
"In today's world, the customer, maybe she's in a hurry. She knows exactly what she wants. She wants to grab it and say 'OK, I'm ready to go.'"
However, the store will still offer all the same services for the customer who wants to sit down and have a complete makeover, she said.
ShoppersÌýshould see minimal disruption during the renovation, which is being done by department, although some merchandise is being scooted around into other departments temporarily.
Noisy construction such as knocking down walls has been done after hours to avoid bothering customers, she said.
On the third floor, renovation of the children's department is finished, with the old pastel and primary colors making way for the brighter, more neutral colors.
Work is proceeding "feverishly" to renovate the women's lounge, Wright said. Closed for now, the lounge was always a large, clean, comfortable refuge for shoppers, but the pink tiles that ran across the floor and up the walls had to go, she said.
In the men's department, employee Susan Eddins has been with the store since it opened in 1995.
Eddins said the store is doing what families do as well: sprucing things up and putting out "a new welcome mat."
"We're showing Omaha we're here. We're going to be here. We love it here. There's no other place I'd work," she said.
While the changes are noticeable, some are subtle. And some things won't change.
The store will still have the open, airy design that allows a customer unobstructed view across the whole store. Customers can still make use of Von Maur's no-interest credit card. The wide walkways will continue to invite people to browse. Customer service will remain the cornerstone, Wright said.