CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

GVT — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:23:47 -0000

I did shop at Fields, often doing all of my Christmas shopping there. I have not set foot in Macy's on State (or any former Fields store) and never will. For those who say Fields changed long ago, they are partly right. But the goal should have been to restore Fields to its former glory, not to downgrade it to a Macy's. Didn't the geniuses at FDS learn about the power of branding? Why do they think people pay $3 a cup for coffee at Starbucks? The Fields brand kept people coming back despite the changes over the years. The goal should have been to match the quality of the store with the strength of the brand, not to throw out the brand and lessen the quality of the store!

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Angie — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 02:52:52 -0000

Man, is this depressing. They're gonna revamp a little, right?

They sent me a gold card, and since I closed my Lord & Taylor account when I noticed that "The Signature of American Style" had Made in China stuff that costs way too much considering it was made practically from slave labor. It is always good to keep at least one store charge card around.

How bad is it gonna get? Hopefully better if they listen to the public about what changes they should make?

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Mapleleaves — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 00:00:52 -0000

I spent a LOT of money at Field's - in fact, if they hadn't chosen to close down my former Dayton's and Hudson's accounts with the merger, I'd have THREE platinum Macy's cards.

I don't live in Chicago, but I go about twice a year. Marshall Field's was the last of the great full-line, mid-range department stores. If you wanted a $20 shirt or a $200 one, a $10 set of wine glasses or a $1,000 set, you could get it. And the sales staff treated you the with the same courtesy no matter what you were shopping for.

Macy's has dropped Field's better brands and replaced them with their high-margin, low quality store brands. Their "improvements" are all designed to eliminate customer service - who needs price scanners and shopping carts when you've got an attentive salesperson?

The traditions and practices they've dropped are irritating, and the ones they've kept seem usurped by conquering hordes. There's nothing positive or pleasant about Macy's running a store at 111 N State Street. Or anywhere else.

The Macy's where I live have unattentive cashiers who will only venture from behind the register for a smoke break or to check out the clearance racks to see what they can buy with their discount. Their selection is shoddy, prices are higher (it's funny when the same thing is cheaper at Bloomingdale's!), and service is bad. Why would I visit Chicago to see all this when I don't want to see it in my own back yard?

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

FieldsIsChicagoDotOrg — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 23:20:32 -0000

People shopped at Marshall Field's because it was a Chicago tradition. It was where your mom bought her wedding dress, where your son bought a suit for that first "real job," where your daughter bought her prom dress. Marhshall Field's was it. Period. It was THE store for Chicagoans.

Marhall Field (the man) helped build the Shedd Aquarium, the Merchandise Mart, the Field Museum, and the ulitimate department store in the world - Marshall Field's. No one can take ownership of that. That was Marshall Field's hard work and legacy - not Macy's.

Macy's will not last.

www.fieldsischicago.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

fromCalifornia — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:45:28 -0000

There was a time back in the 70's and 80's when Macy's was a cool store even up until 10 years ago .I did alot of my shopping there. Very elegant, sharp and fashionable. Beautiful clothing and housewares. The stores now by me are kinda sad looking. Crowded merchandise, clothing on the floor, dirty torn carpets, flooring missing tiles, lighting that hasn't worked in years, very depressing. The prices are not what I would call inexpensive either. All the cool name brands designer merchandise were discontinued and the crummy housebrands are now the rule. When I was a kid, my local Macy's was the sharpest store in town. If you shopped at Macy's it meant something. Any schmo could shop at Penny's or Sear's but Macy's had class. Sadly it's not the case anymore. No one will ever convince me that Macy's is the equal to Field's. Field's on a bad day is still better than what your getting now with Macy's. I read that Macy's is cutting back on maintenance, well it stands to reason the same thing will happen to your stores as what happened to the one's by me in California, it's only a matter of time, that's very sad. FDS is driving Macy's into the ground.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Li — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:11:00 -0000

Terry Lundgren made his choice and I have made mine. In this day and age there are so few opportunities to take a stand and really feel that it might make a difference or even be noticed. Personally boycotting Macy's and spending all my Christmas dollars at any other Chicago store is one of those times. I have made a point to friends and relatives that I do not want any gifts purchased from Macy's either. So I am clear, I will spend as much money as usual in Chicago so the city of Chicago will still get its sales tax revenue and some other Chicago store will get the profit from my purchases. The thousands of others like me who are refusing to patronize the store formerly known as Fields are sending a cumulative message to Federated's board of directors that is far more powerful than any words.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

5th gen chicagoan — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:43:41 -0000

Terry Lundgren goofed by not knowing the Chicago market. Field's could be a viable high-end store, suitable to its State Street building. To me, it's a total desecration of the Marshall Field name and many people, not just in Chicago, are extremely upsent about the loss of regionalism and homogenization of everything.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

KPO'M — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:27:25 -0000

I think Federated wasted an opportunity with the name change. They are spending a lot of money upgrading stores nationwide, and locally could have capitalized on the Field's name by restoring the store to what it was before Target commoditized them, and launching a "Field's is back" campaign. Instead, they have created so much negative goodwill by changing the name to Macy's, they will have to bend over backwards to get some people into the stores.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Erick Ambassador — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:22:35 -0000

my apologies, the correct address is www.fieldfanschicago.com

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Erick Ambassador — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:20:08 -0000

www.fieldfans.org

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Erick Ambassador — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:10:49 -0000

Join a unique and special boycott of Macys at 1pm on Black Friday, November 24, the day after Thanksgiving under the Great Clock of our beloved Marshall Fields. Also visit our web site for chats and the latest news on this great Chicago institution.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

tryit — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:28:15 -0000

http://www.fieldsfanschicag...

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Skeeter — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:11:43 -0000

Although this may sound weird to people from the suburbs or elsewhere, the Loop is becoming increasingly residential. The result is that people want to walk around with the family -- including pets.

I don't think I can bring my Germ. Shep. into Macy's. However, Nordstrom's on Michigan Ave. welcomes him. On a cold day when we need to get out of the house but don't really want to just walk around outside, my wife and I will often wander to Nordstrom's with the dog. It is a great way to stretch our legs and my wife and I can also get our shopping in. We've spent a lot of money in places that we went into specifically because the dog was allowed in. A walk around the neighborhood turns into some major purchases.

Macy's is not from here, and I don't think they understand the neighborhood yet.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Angie — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 14:55:43 -0000

[I got tired of garishly made-up, heavily-perfumed saleswomen jumping on me as soon as I came within 10 feet of the cosmetics counters and stalking me until I bought something.]

Chuckle chuckle. They train 'em that way on purpose, so they can increase sales.

The goal is to make women look like complete streetwalkers so they sell more products all at one time. In reality, you need some blush to brighten up your cheeks and maybe play up ONE feature (eyes?) at a time, but not the whole Las Vegas showgirl thing.

They can't sell multiple shades of something more neutral, because women only need one. Hence, the sales and marketing plan is designed to convince clueless twits that eight different shades of eyeshadow will look great if only they were "blended" well (snorts with laughter).

Putting that look on floor #1 is often what ruins the upscale image of some of the higher end stores, but I guess it sells products to silly people.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

HRH Weezer — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 12:26:40 -0000

Macy's stinks. They got rid of the Field Gear line, which had plenty of talls for both men and women. Now it is impossible to find decent tall and long sizes there. Macy's will never be what Marshall Field's was. I won't shop there.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Emily Booth — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:33:26 -0000

It just about broke my heart to exit 111 N. Wabash and see the Macy's name on the awning to Marshall Field's. For those of us who grew up in Chicago, Marshall Field's has a strong cachet. Everyone has a story about their excellent customer service. I went with my mother on many shopping trips to Field's then began shopping there on my own after college. We could take the el or the subway and enter the store directly from the train. The downslide of Marshall Field's began when Dayton-Hudson took it over. They upgraded the facility but replaced many of Marshall Field's lines with lines of lesser quality. The sales clerks were not as well-trained. I don't understand why they couldn't keep the name and the green paper shopping bags and improve the merchandise and customer service. I don't think Chicago will ever warm up to Macy's.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:10:39 -0000

I love how people say they are upset about the name change and won't shop at Macy's...and then admit that they never shopped there that much when it was Field's, either. Frankly, I never liked Field's that much -- I got tired of garishly made-up, heavily-perfumed saleswomen jumping on me as soon as I came within 10 feet of the cosmetics counters and stalking me until I bought something. I never buy anything at Field's, er, Macy's anyway, except for make-up -- and Clinique is Clinique, regardless of the store selling it.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Angie — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 22:53:32 -0000

[Department stores are dinosaurs in their last death throes. Consolidation is the last bid for any semblance of survival.]

Right. That's why the specialty stores, like Nordies, will survive. There's something distinct about the service and the atmosphere that sets such stores apart from the ones that are just one big bunch of individual departments full of stuff you can find at a category killer specialty store at any suburban strip mall.

Gee, maybe the service will get better since they're all dying now, huh? lol

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

The Horse — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 18:56:10 -0000

duh... they standardized the merchendise last year, this was just a name change. As someone who never lived in chi, I will break it to you gently ... Fields hasnt been no big deal for a long time! The walnut room is still a pretty place for lunch, but the store is still just as hard to get around in as it always was... a dinosaur is still a dinosaur.

Famous Barr was a late/recent addition to Spfld, and now its a Macy's too.

What ya all should be sad about is the closing of Carsons. gee, i'll miss those ribs. ;)

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

A. Nonymous — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:45:28 -0000

I have been through the State Street store, but didn't buy anything. I think the name change was foolish, however, the New York elite that run the chain didn't know any better. Now they're seeing it in their bottom line. This could be the best Chicago - New York battle (outside of Sunday's game) since Jordan v. Starks.

BTW, they kept the Lord & Taylor name, so there should have been some way to keep Marshall Field's.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Just me — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:42:51 -0000

I was there for the first time this weekend, but only because they'd sent me a promotional $10 gift card.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Frosty Da Snowman — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:15:36 -0000

First off, Macy's IS NOT a New York department store, it is a Cincinatti department store. Macy's hasn't been a New York store in years. Likewise for Bloomindales - another Cincinatti store.

Department stores are dinosaurs in their last death throes. Consolidation is the last bid for any semblance of survival.

The Internet and specialty stores are where people shop now. I'd much rather do my X-Mas shopping sitting at home, on my computer, in my skivvies, picking my toes than trudging around a hot, stuffy big box. Of course, with Capitol Fax open in a window as well...

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

Jacketpotato — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:52:45 -0000

I was in the State Street Macy's last Friday. It's pretty much the same. There are definitely a lot more store brands exclusive to Macy's and from what I've read that's where the margins are. Pretty much the same service. I still feel like I'm cheating if I buy anything there. I can't even bring myself to buy lunch on the Seventh Floor.

Even with the mediocre service people who made their purchases could at least buy some nostalgia. Federated has only enraged longtime consumers of that nostalgia. Just anecdotally, I know of at least three generations of women that have cut up their Macy's cards and sworn never to go. The changeover to Macy's has just hastened the death of any sort of mid-market department store in Chicagoland.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

frustrated GOP — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:37:51 -0000

So they couldn't use: Macy's at "Marshall Fields on State" and made it a flagship for higher end good? Not hard there! It's really hard to diss 100+ years of history and think people won't be hacked off. Even the target folks ran it into the ground they at least kept the name, screwed the brand. bunch of dumb new yorkers. Probably a mets fan.

Re: Macy’s chief admits tough row to hoe

publius — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:27:08 -0000

i have no interest in their national brand---and won't shop in their store---for my money neiman's is a wonderful,classy place to shop