December 14, 2007
The Legacy of Zabar’s Murray Klein
By Tom Ryan
Murray Klein, the public face of Zabar’s who transformed the Jewish delicatessen into an international food emporium, died in early December of lung cancer at the age of 84. He’s credited with bringing gourmet utensils and food to Manhattan’s middle-class and by extension the rest of the U.S.
“That one little Yiddishe store had an effect on the way people ate all over America, and it was really because of him,” Steven Fass, an importer, told the New York Times.
Mr. Klein joined Zabar’s as a stockman in 1953 and wound up as a co-owner of the store when he retired in 1994. A constant presence on its sawdust covered floor, he oversaw merchandising, pricing and publicity for more than 30 years and helped Zabar’s gain a national following in the 1970s.
“Murray Klein was to food retailing what Julia Child was to cooking,” David Liederman, who sold some of his first David’s Cookies to Zabar’s in the 1980s, told the Times.
His trademark was selling high-end gourmet food while still offering such Jewish staples as chopped liver, babkas and borscht.
The Times also claimed he brought the concept of the loss leader to gourmet food; i.e., selling truffles at a loss to lure in customers for lox and bagels. (He was known to say, “If I walk out onto Zabar’s floor and I can see my shoes, it’s not busy enough.”) Along with Zabar’s private-label coffee and preserves, the low-priced delicacies paved the way for high-end/low-price grocers like Trader Joe’s.
“Where other vendors would look at a jar of mustard and think, ‘How much can I sell this for?’ Murray would think, ‘How little?’” Mr. Liederman said.
A feisty marketer, Mr. Klein was known for posting caricatures of his competitors in the windows. In 1983, he battled Macy’s in what became known as the Beluga Caviar war, eventually driving the price down below cost. He also fought Cuisinart in the 1970s so he could sell the company’s food processors at a discount.
Before immigrating to America in 1950, Mr. Klein had a much darker past. He lost his family in the Holocaust, was imprisoned in a Soviet labor camp, and smuggled arms to pre-state Palestine.
New York Magazine said, “He was one of the last of the old-time Jewish businessmen, one who would rather sell caviar at a loss than back down from a fight with Macy’s.”
Stanley Zabar, who now runs Zabar’s with his brother, Saul, said, “What Murray brought was the conviction that the whole world must know about Zabar’s.”
Discussion Questions: What do you make of the legacy of Murray Klein? How do you think Zabar’s has changed food retailing? Can you share any fond memories of Murray Klein and/or Zabar’s?
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We were asked by NEC software of Japan to develop a category management workshop for many of Japan’s top retailers at a conference here in NY a few weeks ago. It was a group of about 50 people. As part of their trip, they had visited a number of retailers, and I found it interesting that, in addition to all their big suitcases, almost half of them had bags of items from Zabar’s. Murray’s legacy seems to be alive and well beyond the borders of NYC.
I’m prejudiced because the fondest memories of my New York childhood are all associated with Jewish food. Zabar’s is a “must go” destination for food-lovers and New York lovers everywhere. And that Zabar’s bag has become a New York signature.
So why aren’t there any in South Florida (where we all go to rest)?
About 15 years ago, I wrote a story on the great food stores of New York for one of the in-flight magazines you see in the seatbacks of airplanes. I interviewed the folks at Fairway, Balducci’s, Dean & Deluca and, of course, Zabar’s. All of the discussions were great, but Murray was the only one who insisted on introducing me to customers. Some of these he knew, others he just thought looked interesting to talk with. He told them I was a journalist doing a story and that they should tell me their impression of the store, its products and its staff.
In each case, the shoppers smiled and said they loved the experience and would visit every day if they could. He was also the only one of the people I interviewed for the story who talked about the heritage of the New York grocer — he took a great interest in the history of food retailing and shared several clippings he had saved with me.
After the article came out, most of the stores I covered sent me a note thanking me for including them. Murray’s note came with a few sweets. He said he didn’t offer me anything when I was writing the article because he didn’t want to be seen as influencing the outcome. He was a class act.
If anything, Zabar’s has demonstrated the importance of catering to a specific culture and the profit that can be made from focusing on a specific group. In a much earlier post, I talked about bringing in products that are ethnic specific for the community that the store services. In retailing, you can never go wrong with a culturally driven product assortment.
Did Zabar’s really pioneer “foodie” culture by discounting “Novie,” Beluga and Cuisinarts on the Upper West Side? That may be an bit of hyperbole, but I find it, well, appetizing. Sounds like the master Murray Klein would have appreciated the attribution, even if it’s slightly exaggerated.
I sold housewares to Zabar’s for 20 years and Murray Klein was tough as nails when it came to purchasing products. Yet, he had this innate sense, knowing what would sell; taking a risk on an innovative product; and what the right price would be.
The man was a genius and as honest an individual as you might find in any business. He really knew his stuff.
Additionally, he took care of his employees and his vendors. His demands were high, but the rewards were huge. I can name dozens of workers who wouldn’t have earned a significant living without him. These people made significant careers working for Zabar’s.
He was a brilliant retailer and a terrific human being. He will be missed.
No doubt about it…Zabar’s has made a tremendous impact on food retailing.
They are a good example of what happens when solid merchandising, pricing and publicity strategies come together effectively. And, the fact that their founder “transformed the Jewish delicatessen into an international food emporium” goes to show that good merchandising and other key business strategies can be parlayed into the eCommerce space as well.
Murray Klein’s legacy will timelessly live on. He was a solid, smart businessman with wonderful products to offer.
I have to be honest. I do not know Murray Klein, and until this question was posed, had not heard of him. Which I believe is a credit to him and his legacy. I know Zabar’s, and when I make one of my 3-4 visits to NY per year, Zabar’s is inevitably on my list.
It is not just a Jewish deli, it is an entertainment venue. Watching to deli men behind the counter hand slicing smoked salmon to turn it into lox is like watching a master pianist performing a solo. Walking upstairs to the utensils area, and realizing that this is where Williams Sonoma most likely learned their merchandise ideas.
Zabar’s knows exactly what they are; a great deli and a great tourist attraction. They make shopping an event.
While Murray may not be well known nationwide, his legacy will live on, and will be noticed every time someone walks into a Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods, or a Trader Joe’s.
Murray Klein understood the platinum value of publicity. The fights with Macy’s and Cuisinart were perceived as David versus Goliath battles on behalf of the customers. Zabar’s is a single-location store in the most expensive ad market in the country. Yes, Murray Klein knew a lot about food, but what he knew about publicity was even more valuable.
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We were asked by NEC software of Japan to develop a category management workshop for many of Japan’s top retailers at a conference here in NY a few weeks ago. It was a group of about 50 people. As part of their trip, they had visited a number of retailers, and I found it interesting that, in addition to all their big suitcases, almost half of them had bags of items from Zabar’s. Murray’s legacy seems to be alive and well beyond the borders of NYC.
I’m prejudiced because the fondest memories of my New York childhood are all associated with Jewish food. Zabar’s is a “must go” destination for food-lovers and New York lovers everywhere. And that Zabar’s bag has become a New York signature.
So why aren’t there any in South Florida (where we all go to rest)?
About 15 years ago, I wrote a story on the great food stores of New York for one of the in-flight magazines you see in the seatbacks of airplanes. I interviewed the folks at Fairway, Balducci’s, Dean & Deluca and, of course, Zabar’s. All of the discussions were great, but Murray was the only one who insisted on introducing me to customers. Some of these he knew, others he just thought looked interesting to talk with. He told them I was a journalist doing a story and that they should tell me their impression of the store, its products and its staff.
In each case, the shoppers smiled and said they loved the experience and would visit every day if they could. He was also the only one of the people I interviewed for the story who talked about the heritage of the New York grocer — he took a great interest in the history of food retailing and shared several clippings he had saved with me.
After the article came out, most of the stores I covered sent me a note thanking me for including them. Murray’s note came with a few sweets. He said he didn’t offer me anything when I was writing the article because he didn’t want to be seen as influencing the outcome. He was a class act.
If anything, Zabar’s has demonstrated the importance of catering to a specific culture and the profit that can be made from focusing on a specific group. In a much earlier post, I talked about bringing in products that are ethnic specific for the community that the store services. In retailing, you can never go wrong with a culturally driven product assortment.
Did Zabar’s really pioneer “foodie” culture by discounting “Novie,” Beluga and Cuisinarts on the Upper West Side? That may be an bit of hyperbole, but I find it, well, appetizing. Sounds like the master Murray Klein would have appreciated the attribution, even if it’s slightly exaggerated.
I sold housewares to Zabar’s for 20 years and Murray Klein was tough as nails when it came to purchasing products. Yet, he had this innate sense, knowing what would sell; taking a risk on an innovative product; and what the right price would be.
The man was a genius and as honest an individual as you might find in any business. He really knew his stuff.
Additionally, he took care of his employees and his vendors. His demands were high, but the rewards were huge. I can name dozens of workers who wouldn’t have earned a significant living without him. These people made significant careers working for Zabar’s.
He was a brilliant retailer and a terrific human being. He will be missed.
No doubt about it…Zabar’s has made a tremendous impact on food retailing.
They are a good example of what happens when solid merchandising, pricing and publicity strategies come together effectively. And, the fact that their founder “transformed the Jewish delicatessen into an international food emporium” goes to show that good merchandising and other key business strategies can be parlayed into the eCommerce space as well.
Murray Klein’s legacy will timelessly live on. He was a solid, smart businessman with wonderful products to offer.
I have to be honest. I do not know Murray Klein, and until this question was posed, had not heard of him. Which I believe is a credit to him and his legacy. I know Zabar’s, and when I make one of my 3-4 visits to NY per year, Zabar’s is inevitably on my list.
It is not just a Jewish deli, it is an entertainment venue. Watching to deli men behind the counter hand slicing smoked salmon to turn it into lox is like watching a master pianist performing a solo. Walking upstairs to the utensils area, and realizing that this is where Williams Sonoma most likely learned their merchandise ideas.
Zabar’s knows exactly what they are; a great deli and a great tourist attraction. They make shopping an event.
While Murray may not be well known nationwide, his legacy will live on, and will be noticed every time someone walks into a Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods, or a Trader Joe’s.
Murray Klein understood the platinum value of publicity. The fights with Macy’s and Cuisinart were perceived as David versus Goliath battles on behalf of the customers. Zabar’s is a single-location store in the most expensive ad market in the country. Yes, Murray Klein knew a lot about food, but what he knew about publicity was even more valuable.