I Never Worked A Day In My Life – The Service Merchandise Story, written by Raymond Zimmerman.
Raymond Zimmerman cofounded the retail giant Service Merchandise with his parents in 1960. He became CEO in 1983 and served in that capacity until retiring in April 1997. He grew the company from its initial store in Nashville, Tennessee, to a bustling retail chain of over four hundred catalog showroom stores. Raymond retired and relocated to Florida in 1999. He founded discount retailer 99 Cent Stuff and operated those stores from 1999 to 2008.
Raymond proudly served as a director on the L Brands’ board from 1984 to 2021. He has served as a lecturer and mentor to those interested in retailing and entrepreneurial endeavors. Concurrent with his business obligations, he has always been engaged in bettering his community. He was the recipient of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award for the United Way of Middle Tennessee. He took active leadership roles in United Way of America, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Jewish Federations of his two hometowns of Nashville and Boca Raton, respectively.
Raymond is married to Etta Zimmerman, and he is the proud father to Fred Zimmerman, Robyn Rubinoff, and Leya Kaufman. He also is thrilled to have four grandsons and one great-grandson.
