zhukovsky/Depositphotos.com
October 31, 2025
Will Saks’ Top Seller Program Empower Sales Associates?
Saks Global introduced a new Top Seller Program that clarifies hierarchy among different sales roles with incentives aimed at encouraging associates to reach higher levels.
The program focuses on two types of selling associates:
- Stylists that wardrobe clients from head-to-toe.
- Sellers who are experts in a specific merchandise area.
Positioned for associates at every stage of their career, the Top Seller Program begins once an individual hits $1 million in annual sales, when they earn the title of Emerging Stylist or Emerging Seller. The associate is then incentivized to grow through various levels until they reach Master Stylist or Master Seller tier, hauling in more than $7 million in annual sales.
Associates secure “new opportunities with each program level achieved,” receiving access to more selling tools to drive their business.
The tools gained at higher levels, according to WWD, might include new customer acquisition support, where Saks Global may help identify and connect new high-potential customers with master stylists who work on an appointment-only basis. Each master stylist also earns their own personalized suite at a Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue store.
Saks Seeks To Reward High Performers With Attractive Perks
Associates attaining certain sales levels may also be provided with an assistant who can manage appointment calendars, contact clients, set follow-up reminders, pull products, and support social media activities. At certain levels, a travel budget to visit top-tier clients may be in the cards.
Saks is also creating a new role, “global stylist,” that has more freedom to pursue sales leads beyond the store.
“Our stores are the ultimate expression of our brands. They are where the relationships with our customers come to life, serving as the foundation of the connection and personalized service for which we are known,” said Mary McGreevy, chief stores officer, Saks Fifth Avenue & Neiman Marcus. “This program is personalized, not prescriptive, meeting each seller where they are and tailoring growth to their unique strengths, client portfolio and business goals.”
The BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2025 study suggested that any incentive program for associates should embrace modern retail, including rewarding staff for onboarding new loyalty members or for how they’re driving omnichannel sales. With discovery increasingly taking place, incentives for store-level associate should also emphasize conversion and building loyalty.
The study advised, “Extend both hard and soft incentives to drive conversion and longer-term customer value, rewarding associates who drive future digital purchases in addition to immediate, in-person ones. Have corporate and in-store management champion the goals to illustrate how they are valued by the entire organization.”
Discussion Questions
What’s the primary philosophy behind Saks Global’s Top Seller Program?
Which emerging retail elements have become more important in structuring incentives for store associates at luxury stores and other commission-driven store roles?
What suggestions would you have around revising staff incentives?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Bob Phibbs
President/CEO, The Retail Doctor
Georganne Bender
Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking
Scott Benedict
Founder & CEO, Benedict Enterprises LLC
Recent Discussions
More Discussions
Has Maverik Made a Mistake on its Kum & Go Rebrand?
Maverik has completed its rebranding of Kum & Go, folding the stores into its own banner…Is Guilt Messaging the Path To Influencing Consumer Behavior?
A university study has found that telling consumers their returned items will be “kept out of…How Great of an Advantage Do Low-Price Leaders Like Walmart and Aldi Have?
Low-price leaders like Aldi and Walmart, among others, are vying for an increasingly savvy consumer. How…
The program certainly provides incentives – and Saks desperately needs the sales. But let’s be honest: the problems at Saks Global are deeply entrenched. They have way too much debt and are still deeply unpopular with many suppliers due to delays with payments. These structural issues don’t disappear no matter how good a sales incentive scheme is put in place.
The problem with most retailer’s wage cost isn’t that they are paying their top performers too much … it’s that they are paying their poor performers too much.
This program certainly sounds like it’s a big step towards rewarding more top performers. I can’t comment on how the program will be rolled out and it’s impact on all levels of staff. But I’m aligned with programs and initiatives that recognize and reward those who actually drive success for the business.
This is window dressing for a company that’s about to go through what the same activist investors did to Hudson Bay. As to level of sales, this program’s speaking to a very few people and why they would try to hold on and not switch off to another luxury, boutique or brand I have no idea. When vendors say they’re not being paid on time it makes you wonder if commissions will be paid on a timely basis as well. And they still detached their online from their in-store sales so the person on the floor, if they don’t have a size, can’t just order it online and have it shipped because it’s a different company. So much wrong here
Saks Global’s Top Seller Program reflects a clear philosophy: elevate elite sellers not only through compensation but by empowering them with tools and support to grow long-term client relationships. By establishing recognition tiers that start at $1 million in annual sales and extend to $7 million and beyond, Saks is signaling that personalized clienteling and consistent excellence are at the heart of luxury retail performance — not just short-term transactions.
Across luxury and other commission-driven environments, incentives are evolving to include metrics beyond raw sales. Success today is measured by a seller’s ability to deepen client loyalty, drive omnichannel engagement, and use digital tools to extend relationships beyond the store. As the line between physical and digital selling continues to blur, rewarding those who integrate CRM data, social engagement, and online referrals will be essential.
Looking ahead, retailers should design incentive models that balance exclusivity with inclusivity — offering clear paths for high performers to advance, while motivating broader teams through attainable goals tied to client growth and digital fluency. Saks’ program is a strong step in modernizing luxury selling incentives, but the next frontier lies in recognizing every associate’s role in creating lifetime customer value.
The philosophy? You sell more, you make more….much like any other commission based system; the methods by which they’re nurturing those skills that separate greatness from mediocrity aren’t immediately apparent, beyond providing various types of assistance….to those who are already successful. My own experience with high-end retail – which was, coincidentally, at Saks (during Xmas…back when it was still part of Gimbels) – was that it was quite cutthroat…that this scheme will encourage behavior that places an associate’s self-interest in line with the company’s would be my hope.
I can see your point. The sales staffer’s own relationship with the members of the Top 1% could be greater than a relationship of customer to store. Not clear if the staff has cross-over privileges between Saks & NM (“Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus Seller Success Track Program”).
The above sound completely monetary… so it will be interesting if staffers set into motion non-merchandise events for their clients. “‘The Art of You’ vision, this program allows for an elevated, personalized, end-to-end experience led by trusted selling associates.” Curious what the end-to-end includes. Is it related to the infamous NM holiday catalog?
Based on the company’s announcement, the Top Seller Program is designed with substantial features intended to empower high-performing sales associates significantly. The newly introduced Global Stylists can serve customers “wherever and however customers choose to shop.” However, the ability of top sellers to achieve their $1 million to $7 million-plus sales goals is directly impaired by the lack of inventory to sell. The systemic failure to manage accounts payable and maintain a consistent supply of luxury goods undermines the core function of sales associates, regardless of incentives and motivation.
This is a necessary and wise investment in store associates, but it falls woefully short in the big picture. Without a successful restructuring that drastically reduces the debt burden and enables the company to stabilize its supply chain and inventory flow, the program may appear as “window dressing” in relation to the existential financial distress it is attempting to mask.
Well, now I know why I am no longer invisible in Saks ladies apparel departments. I hope this strategy works for them.