Macy’s plan to shrink stores

Kari

I can’t imagine that this will make the so-so experience of shopping at my local Macy’s better than it is today, as I assume there will be even less staff available to help. I’m curious which, if any, stores near me are considered “magnets” that are more productive.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/m.....1542067709

7 years ago

Shopping

13 replies

Latest reply was from shiny

Barbara Diane

Veteran

I don’t have a subscription so I couldn’t read most of the article. However there are two Macy’s each 10 minutes from me. The nice Macy’s doesn’t carry my size except I did find some Eileen Fisher that worked. On sale. Yay. The other store, the one that carries my size.....well, every 3-6 months I think they must have at least one item that will work for me, so I try it. Nope. The quality keeps going down and now there is Last Act, which is Macy’s answer to Nordstrom Rack, but in the main store. But the quality is considerably lower than The Rack. A significant part of the floor is now Last Act. Sigh. I used to buy almost all of my clothing at Macy’s. Talbots Outlet has much better quality these days.

7 years ago

Roberta

Veteran

I will continue to buy towels and underwear and other things from Macy's, but only online. They are still a good fit for many "department store" items; less expensive than Nordstrom and better quality than Kohl's or Target.

My local stores are dreadfully understaffed and thus always messy and dirty. I feel bad for the clerks because I know they have way too much to do. I would be sad if one or the other closed entirely because it would be harder to return things, but not impossible.

7 years ago

MsMaven

Veteran

There were 3 smaller stores and 2 large Macy's within shopping distance of me. One died when its mall died, the other two smaller ones are a waste--they don't carry merchandise I'm interested in. The 2 big Macy's have gone downhill. They are too big--I see acres of clothes and nothing I want. Years back--well maybe decades now--I bought a lot of things at Macy's, especially in their bridge lines. It's sad, really, because Macy's was once a good place to shop.

I do buy some things online. DH used to buy a lot of clothes at Macy's, but he hates to shop and the quality of their business men's wear seems to have dropped below an acceptable level.

I've complained about lack of sales persons for years, but Macy's just ignores it.

7 years ago

cjh

(website)

Veteran

The Macy’s near me shrank right out of existence. A couple weeks ago, I was at a mall an hour away which still has Macy’s, but had no time to stop and shop. I miss Macy’s.

7 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I don’t quite understand how Macy’s would do this. Will they relocate their stores? And what happens to all the old properties?

7 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Rachylou, did you read the whole thing? I didn’t, only the part before the jump. There, it sounded like they were simply not using parts of their stores, leaving shelves empty in those sections. Maybe that isn’t exactly right & they explain the rest further in, because that’s be a really dumb plan. It’d feel like you were in a store that was clearing out/shutting down. But I think a transition to smaller b&m stores is in the cards for all big retailers, as they become essentially showplaces for stuff you can get online.

Macy’s was one of the anchor stores, along with Sears & JCPenny, in the mall in my home town. The others have already left, and Macy’s has become disheveled and just sad. Very hard to reconcile with the grand old master described during the parade every year.

7 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

That’s too odd - just closing off sections. I imagine them doing an ‘under construction’ wall. Maybe they’d do better, but still... you’d know there’s empty space their, decaying. It sounds claustrophobic to me also.

Or, ok, I read that some stores are renting space to other retailers or brands... well, I feel like I’ve maybe seen this and I didn’t get it.

They need architects to reimagine these old buildings. I mean, a TOTAL reimagination.

Also, while I’m all about fashion, I mean obviously YLF is my fave place, have to say I think it was a big mistake to make all these DEPARTMENT stores basically all-clothing. And that’s how my Macy’s stores strike me. The little bit of surviving homewares looks totally abandoned in my stores. I’d rather go to Home Goods and see if I get lucky than feel like I’m scavenging in the Post Apocalypse.

I just don’t know.

7 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

“scavenging in the Post Apocalypse.”. Lol—yes, that’s it!

Wasn’t there a mall “reimagined” to be a holding center for kids taken from their parents last summer? A more positive reuse I’ve heard of is a town that put its library, recreation center, youth program, etc all in the old mall.

7 years ago

lisaflex

Veteran

the last act near us is a mess......no organization.

about 10 yrs ago macy's just changed and not in a good way imho

7 years ago

kkards

Veteran

this article better articulates what macy's is thinking of doing with the the "extra" space
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/1.....y-shrink.h
but for now, they are putting up dummy walls, not leaving empty shelves...

7 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Thanks Kkards. That makes a bit more sense. Of the ideas they’re testing, having places to pick up internet orders makes the most sense to me. I don’t understand at all why they’d want to increase their off-price locations/connection/sales. Isn’t the idea to sell as much at the higher price as possible? Or is that price just for shock value, like university tuition?

7 years ago

Laura

(website)

Veteran

I've heard that Macy's has rented out the top 4 floors of the State Street store in Chicago, but is keeping the rest. That's a good thing, I think -- it's such a massive space.

7 years ago

shiny

Veteran

As I've mentioned, more and more stores are not carrying petites in-store. My local Macy's just reduced their petite department drastically, so they are following suit. It's like a fraction of the size it used to be, and NO petite coats at all. Very frustrating. But not inconsistent with what BR, AT, Jcrew and all the other stores have already done as well... Jcrew never carried petites in store, but now BR and AT have also been shrinking their petite sections.

So these days I just shop online, and do my returns to the B&M store. And I do a LOT of returns, unfortunately, because I can't try anything on without ordering it online and having it shipped to me!

You know it's bad when you find yourself missing Petite Sophisticate. A store that is nothing but petites. Sigh.

7 years ago

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