A few days ago after news about Macy's department store hit the press I wrote a post on Facebook that is getting "likes." I'll share the sentiments expressed while keeping the names of FB friends private ...Debra Turner - What's on your mind:
February 28 at 1:52 PM
Macy's has always been my absolute favorite NYC department store. Today it sounds like it is changing its business model to be more like Saks, Bloomingdales, and Bergdorf Goodman's. Along with closing some of its stores, it announced it would be changing its facade, as well as, "focusing more on luxuries." The very thing I love about Macy's is when you need something such as clothes, shoes, accessories, or household items, Macy's has good quality at every price point from budget-friendly to luxury! For decades Macy's has been for everybody! I hate to see changes that are not improvements. Somebody is not paying attention to what happened with the transformation of Barney's from its downtown location to its uptown store. In 2 decades I fear, Macy's may suffer the same fate ... and it will no longer be fun to shop there! How many overpriced dresses, bags, shoes, bed sheets, or towels does a person need?
M MI am hoping that that will not happen with the New York store, but I'm not holding my breath. I mourned the demise of Lord and Taylor. They are an online store now but their prices are like Saks or Bloomingdale's.
I haven't been able to afford one
thing on their website
Debra TurnerM M Sadly all these great old department stores are gone. B. Altman, Gimbles too.
M M Debra Turner I loved B. Altman. And putting myself through school I worked at another upscale store called Arnold Constable. It was on a diagonal from Lord & Taylor and is now a branch of the public library.
Debra TurnerM M I remember it well. The B. Altman store closed soon after I arrived in Manhattan, but not before I bought a wool blazer and 2 cardigans there. You walked in and a sales associate with a name like Mary Catherine in her late 50s or early 60s helped you find what you needed and really knew her specialty. Likewise in my hometown, we had 4 amazing department stores, at one time called ''dry goods" stores with the same helpful sales associates. In the early 90s, my senior mother had to go to a periodontist whose office was in downtown Louisville, to save her teeth (happens as a senior, your teeth have decades of wear and tear), and her periodontist said, Mrs. Turner, you will be my last patient. I'm retiring, because as all these department stores have closed, I'm not getting any more patients who get pay + medical and dental benefits. The newer companies replacing the department stores aren't paying employees benefits.
M MThere is a wonderful novel that I read several years ago that takes place at B Altman. Lucia, Lucia
by Adriana Trigiani.
It
tells the story of a young girl from an Italian family, who lives in Greenwich Village. It takes place in the 1950s and she uses her sewing skills to get a job at the store. The author has written the book with such detail that you can remember what it was like to be in that store. Plus, the plotline itself is really interesting. You might be able to get it at a public library.
C SThe department stores from long ago are disappearing. I will always love Macy’s. Their Hotel Collection bedding remains my favorite but it seems the quality of merchandise across the board is declining. Also, dislike racks stuffed with cheap garments
in poor layouts. My local Macy’s is woefully understaffed. Last weekend I tried to buy a Radleys of London purse and left the store empty-handed. Could not find one salesperson anywhere. Very discouraging.
Debra TurnerC S Even in NYC at Herald's Square it is difficult to find a helpful sales associate. They are trained to be more helpful at Bloomingdale's, but the price points of the merchandise start higher.
Macy's -- all price points. You could find things
for what you'd pay at Bloomingdales, but you didn't have to ... sometimes due to their hard-to-believe sales.
C W We had a Lord & Taylor near us which carried all the brands and items I liked for many years. Then they decided to become more fashion-forward, dropped a lot of the old brands of shoes, jewelry, clothing, etc., and eventually went out of business. Study your customer base, department stores!
C WAlso, what you describe may explain what happened to the Macy's in White Plains, which appeared to be emptying out the store the last time I was there. (It has since closed, and I can't believe the one in Yonkers will support the new business plan you describe!)
Now we wait to see what the new business plan will mean for the Macy's we already know and love. I'm sharing our remarks in the hopes that decision-makers stumble upon the blog and preserve what customers love about Macy's.
Do you have any thoughts or memories of old-style department stores?
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What's more, Saks and Bloomingdale's don't carry enough of a holiday selection anymore, restricting their holiday offerings to one small area of a floor. Macy's still makes its offerings look like Santa Claus's workshop, which is located on its 9th floor. All of the glitter and gold as you walk the floor helps you understand the magic of Christmas, commercial though it is. You remember the awe you felt as a child when your parents took you out to see Christmas displays where you shopped.
