Believe it or not, my first retail Christmas still brings back great memories!
My mom suggested that I apply for a holiday job, and I thought it was a great idea, so I can remember my first paycheck from the Neiman Marcus giftwrap department.
In 1974, some of you may remember, Neiman Marcus was in a free-standing, magical building on Camp Bowie Blvd on the west side of Fort Worth. I felt so lucky to work there, and I loved the hustle and bustle of a busy store. It was there that I realized my career calling was in luxury retail.
My job was in the giftwrap department located in the basement. My boss did not think I was qualified to wrap a gift, so my job was to pack the gifts in tissued boxes and then give them to the wrappers with my initials on the work order. The attention to detail is hilarious to me now because I was so afraid my tissue paper would not pass inspection. But it also taught me a great lesson in attention to detail. I learned to wrap properly: the paper cut to exact measurements, crisp corners, ribbons hiding all seams, a minimum of tape, and of course, properly pleated and tissued gift inside the box.
It’s now 44 years after my first December in retail, and I still enjoy the process to this day. (I wrapped the box in the photo above! Not bad eh?) Yes, giftwrap and local delivery is free at Haltom's and it's my personal pleasure to wrap each year. The red Haltom's box has become a tradition and a favorite among local Santas.
From all of us at Haltom’s, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!
