Deep in the hearts of Texans hail two of America's oldest, continuously operating department stores.
Browse through a Neiman Marcus or a J.C. Penney this holiday season, and neither gives off any scent of financial trouble. After all, Dallas-based Neiman Marcus and Plano-based Penney are survivors of 30-plus years of department store consolidations and declines.
Christmas is when retailers prove their worth. Their relevance is on display in a crowded, competitive landscape. It's an accomplishment that these centenarians have gotten this far as dozens of department store names are no more. Longevity isn't enough, as 125-year-old Sears is proving.
