March 5, 200718 yr ^ I agree and wrote them about this three years ago. The women that replied was less than flattering.
March 5, 200718 yr I must be an outsider to this Marshall Fields thing.....because I just don't see why soo many people care. Yeah, its a tough pill to swallow when a hometown place gets bought up, but it happens all the damn time!!! Is this sooo foreign for Chicagoans?? Don't get me wrong Chicago is one of my all time favorite places, but damn get off your high horse and suck it up! As for the renaming things...I say keep Federated. By changing it to Macy's you tie yourself to one particular aspect of your company. Sure it may be the lions share of the company's profits now, but do you want to limit your growth opportunities in the future because of the name? i'm with our uncle on this one as far as the federated name. it doesnt make marketing sense to me to tie the corporation name to the name of its top store like that -- you never know, remember macys was in bankruptcy before so that might not be too smart. also, who knows who else they may buy up in the future that might take off and do well? unless they are planning on changing everything they acquire into a macys? waa.
March 5, 200718 yr would macys ever want to carry some of the high-end brands that marshall fields had in chicago? or would they rather focus on more "middle class" brands? also, are the macys stores in cincy better/nicer than the ones in columbus? i was also looking through an old issue of Columbus Monthly from 1989, the year City Center Mall opened, and it said that Lazarus use to carry high end brands like Armani, MCM, Escada, Anne Klein, Donna Karan, and so on. what the hell happened???
March 5, 200718 yr would macys ever want to carry some of the high-end brands that marshall fields had in chicago? or would they rather focus on more "middle class" brands? also, are the macys stores in cincy better/nicer than the ones in columbus? i was also looking through an old issue of Columbus Monthly from 1989, the year City Center Mall opened, and it said that Lazarus use to carry high end brands like Armani, MCM, Escada, Anne Klein, Donna Karan, and so on. what the hell happened??? At a "flagship" store like state street, there would be no change in vendors, whether the name is marshall-fields or macy's. I Cinci, it would be middle of the road. MCM, Anne Klein, Donna Karan aren't considered "high end".
March 5, 200718 yr I'm shocked that boutiques would leave. I didn't read the entire article. Foot, meet mouth!
March 7, 200718 yr Since Macy's has downgraded the State street store, I bet in about 10 years they will close it, since Watertower place is so close. They already have exclusives at both State street and WTP.
March 7, 200718 yr Im surprised you don't consider Donna Karan and MCM high end. Where I work now, we had a selection of Donna Karan shoes for about $600 and MCM bags for around $500. But then again, most people in America have never really heard of MCM, but they are pretty big in Germany and Europe. They do have some very nice stuff by the way.
March 7, 200718 yr Im surprised you don't consider Donna Karan and MCM high end. Where I work now, we had a selection of Donna Karan shoes for about $600 and MCM bags for around $500. But then again, most people in America have never really heard of MCM, but they are pretty big in Germany and Europe. They do have some very nice stuff by the way. Donna Karan is a "has been" in the fashion world. To a shopaholic or a brand die hard loyalist, $600 shoes or handbags is kidstuff. To me MCM is a knockoff LV, not that I'm an LV fan. What I consider "high end"? Cavalli MaxMara Black Label Ferretti Galliano Comme des Garcons Hermes Sonia Rykiel Lanvin Prada YSL Zac Posen Balenciaga
March 7, 200718 yr Since Macy's has downgraded the State street store, I bet in about 10 years they will close it, since Watertower place is so close. I hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised if they downsized the floor space and closed some of the amentities like the restaurants and food courts and market. The Herald Square one seems to have more chain restaurants inside like Au Bon Pain and such rather than unique food stands. State St is more for Downtown loop workers, and with Carson Pirie Scott now closed, they are the only Dept store on State for Dept Store merchandise....cosmetics and stuff like that...Sears doesn't compete in that league. Water Tower is more for tourists and people that live on N Michigan. As a side note, Lord and Taylor is closing at Water Tower and American Girl Doll, or whatever it is called, is moving there. Anyone need a creepy overpriced Doll and want to wait in line for it?
March 9, 200718 yr Study shows dissatisfaction with merger LISA BIANK FASIG | [email protected] March 9, 2007 CINCINNATI - Wall Street might be giving Federated Department Stores high marks for its merger with May Co., but consumers have not, one survey shows. Shopper approval of the Macy's chain declined by 4.1 percent in late 2006, according to the annual University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The survey suggests that the May Co. merger contributed to the slip, since it involved job relocations, name changes and facility closings. Mergers tend to "play havoc" with customer service, especially if cost-cutting is a major objective, the survey stated. And Federated has cut costs - more than $175 million in 2006. ... http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/03/12/newscolumn4.html
March 10, 200718 yr ^ I agree and wrote them about this three years ago. The women that replied was less than flattering. What was her response? I hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised if they downsized the floor space and closed some of the amentities like the restaurants and food courts and market. The Herald Square one seems to have more chain restaurants inside like Au Bon Pain and such rather than unique food stands. State St is more for Downtown loop workers, and with Carson Pirie Scott now closed, they are the only Dept store on State for Dept Store merchandise....cosmetics and stuff like that...Sears doesn't compete in that league. Water Tower is more for tourists and people that live on N Michigan. As a side note, Lord and Taylor is closing at Water Tower and American Girl Doll, or whatever it is called, is moving there. Anyone need a creepy overpriced Doll and want to wait in line for it? State street wouldn't close, its a staple and a tourist attraction. There are enough residents to handle two locations downtown. Its a great building not bland like WT!
March 10, 200718 yr ^I just wonder with people making decisions from a corporate office in Ohio, or in NY they would look at the two addresses, one on Michigan Ave, the other on State St. and decide they want the "flagship" to be on Michigan Ave.
March 16, 200718 yr Federated fashions new look Designer lines growing piece of Macy's lineup BY LISA BIANK FASIG | [email protected] March 16, 2007 CINCINNATI - At Macy's, "O" is more than just a sum of its parts. The label, created by Oscar de la Renta solely for Federated Department Stores, is among a growing number of designer lines now sold only at Macy's 800 locations. The retailer is so committed to this exclusive strategy, which helps distinguish it from rivals such as Kohl's, Nordstrom and J.C. Penney, that these arrangements now generate $4.6 billion of its $27 billion in sales. That's just a few million less than its own in-house brands, which include I.N.C., Alfani and Charter Club. In doing so, Federated is transforming the concept of the department store and helping to change the fashion industry. For the first time in almost 15 years, market share is shifting back to department stores from specialty chains including Talbots, The Gap, Ann Taylor. This furnishes Federated with considerable negotiating power, and the pace of such deals with celebrity designers -- de la Renta, Martha Stewart and even Donald Trump-- is expected to accelerate. ... http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/03/19/story1.html
March 16, 200718 yr Oscar De la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne....Yawn. This is exactly why these dept stores have become boring and stogey. While these are great traditional brands, they aren't very exciting to anyone under 40. It seems like the safe way for the dept store to go is to stick with tired brand mainstays like Tommy, Nautica, Polo...etc. Fields on State would often feature hot new(or re-realeased) brands with a big splashy new section....FCUK, Penguin, Emanuel Ungaro, Lacoste, Le Tigre, Ben Sherman, Thomas Pink, Buffalo, Von Dutch, True Religion and Seven were some of the ones I have seen down there in the past five years or so featured. Not all of of those are "High End" per se, just new and hot at the time. What is the incentive to go into Macy's and check it out if it's always the same stuff....unless you need socks or underwear. I guess Federated leaves that realm for Bloomingdales only. And to me Bloomingdales does a poor job of creating any excitment. Higbee's, Lazarus and May Co used to be that way many years ago too. Now stores like Dillard's and Macy's are just a big giant bore.
March 16, 200718 yr Oscar De la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne....Yawn. This is exactly why these dept stores have become boring and stogey. While these are great traditional brands, they aren't very exciting to anyone under 40. It seems like the safe way for the dept store to go is to stick with tired brand mainstays like Tommy, Nautica, Polo...etc. Fields on State would often feature hot new(or re-realeased) brands with a big splashy new section....FCUK, Penguin, Emanuel Ungaro, Lacoste, Le Tigre, Ben Sherman, Thomas Pink, Buffalo, Von Dutch, True Religion and Seven were some of the ones I have seen down there in the past five years or so featured. Not all of of those are "High End" per se, just new and hot at the time. What is the incentive to go into Macy's and check it out if it's always the same stuff....unless you need socks or underwear. I guess Federated leaves that realm for Bloomingdales only. And to me Bloomingdales does a poor job of creating any excitment. Higbee's, Lazarus and May Co used to be that way many years ago too. Now stores like Dillard's and Macy's are just a big giant bore. I agree to a point. Your points about brand coverage are correct. Bloomingdales is targetted to a different price point consumer then Macy's. Bloomies being mid/upper tier and Macy's mid/lower tier, based on location. Personally, the Chicago bloomies sucks. I think it's about as bad as the two Atlanta bloomies or the Beverly Center store. Although all of those stores are in locations where they are in direct competition with the brands boutiques/free standing stores. Halle's was a first rate department store Halles was on par with Bergdorf-Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Wanamaker's, Bullocks, Marshall Fields or I. Magnin. I remember the "Shop Paris without going there" campaigns. Higbee's languished as a mid to upper tier (based on location) department store and tried to emulate the "luxury" brands/feel that Halle's had. Higbee's had never been a real creater of brand imaging, but they did have great visuals and a prime location on public square. When Halle's decided to close, Higbees then became the category leader by default and only chose to fully "upgrade" certain the Severance and "new (at the time)" Beachwood locations.
March 16, 200718 yr ^ Yeah Halles was nice (though all, I remember barely was the ones at Belden Village and Summit Mall). Interestingly enough, Halle's was owned by Marshall Field's from 1970 - 1981, when many said it started to go downhill. I guess that is just the way things go with US corporations aquiring everything they can and answering to shareholders more than the customer.
March 28, 200718 yr Macy's to trade FD for M March 28, 2007 | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER CINCINNATI - It will be out with ‘FD’ and in with ‘M’ for Cincinnati-based Macy’s Inc. Federated Department Stores announced the change today in also announcing it would ask shareholders to change its name to Macy’s Inc. rather than Macy’s Group Inc., as previously announced. “Given the availability of the simplified, single-letter ticker symbol, Federated’s board of directors will ask shareholders to approve a corporate name change to Macy’s Inc. instead of Macy’s Group Inc.,” the company said today. ... http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070328/BIZ01/303280030/1076/BIZ
March 29, 200718 yr Investors: Dial 'M' for Macy's BY JOHN ECKBERG | [email protected] March 29, 2007 CINCINNATI - A couple of name changes are in store for Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores Inc., which also continues to gain ground among consumers as a first-choice shopping destination. Federated plans to become Macy's Inc., rather than Macy's Group Inc., which was announced earlier this year. As a result, the current "FD" ticker symbol for the company's stock is on its way out, too. It will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "M" on June 1. ... http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/BIZ01/703290320/1076/BIZ
March 31, 200718 yr Federated mulls possibility of overseas expansion March 30, 2007 | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER CINCINNATI - Federated Department Stores Inc. might someday establish a beachhead outside the United States, possibly in Europe or Asia, CEO Terry Lundgren said Friday. CNNMoney.com reported Lundgren's comments, made at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Lundgren said if the retailer decides to expand overseas, it will do it as part of a strategy, rather than a piecemeal opening of stores. ... http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/03/26/daily60.html
March 31, 200718 yr Great! Build a store or have "in store" shops overseas but you can't bloody build a top tier Bloomies in Downtown Cleveland! Brilliant, just brilliant! Shows just how much faith they have in Ohio shoppers.
April 4, 200718 yr Macys.com is booming BY JOHN ECKBERG | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER April 4, 2007 CINCINNATI - Surging online sales at macys.com and other Web sites owned by Federated Department Stores Inc. led the Cincinnati-based retailer today to increase its capital investment for online systems by $100 million. “Our online sales continue to grow at a rapid pace as the national expansion of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s attracts new customers to our stores, Web sites and catalog," said Terry J. Lundgren, Federated’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. ...
April 25, 200718 yr Federated to try out high-end concept Cafés, bakeries set for Calif., Fla. BY JOHN ECKBERG | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER April 25, 2007 CINCINNATI - Federated Department Store plans to bring bistros, Starbucks coffee shops and fancy restaurants by chef Wolfgang Puck and others to many of its big-city department stores. But although Federated is based in Cincinnati, local shoppers won't see cafés, gourmet baked goods or signature dishes here anytime soon. The department store giant plans to test the concepts in high-traffic stores in California and Florida. Other restaurateurs to design in-store restaurants for the chain include Todd English. ...
May 7, 200718 yr From the 2/11/07 ABJ: Macy's lands quietly in Akron Ohioans take conversion in stride; changes here are subtle, not dramatic By Kerry Clawson Beacon Journal business writer While the conversion of former May Department Stores to Macy's last September caused a furor in some parts of the country, namely Chicago, the change has barely been a blip for shoppers in Northeast Ohio and throughout the state. After a 2005 merger, Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores Inc. changed the nameplates of 400 former May locations Sept. 9. The conversion affected 11 former regional chains under the May name, including Kaufmann's, Marshall Fields, Filene's, Famous-Barr, Foley's, Hecht's, Lord and Taylor, L.S. Ayres, Meier & Frank, Robinsons-May and Strawbridge. ... Retail writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or by e-mail at [email protected]. http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/business/16669390.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_business
May 7, 200718 yr From the AP, 4/12/07: Federated's March 'disappointing' THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK – Federated Department Stores Inc. said today that its first-quarter sales will come in at the low end of expectations, contributing to a hazy outlook for consumer spending as warnings of weak sales ahead overshadowed better-than-expected March sales for many retailers. Analysts said rising gasoline prices and the possibility of higher interest rates could lead shoppers to curtail their spending in the coming months. ... http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070412/BIZ01/304120038/1076/rss01
May 16, 200718 yr A roof for e-tailers Federated tests store concept BY JOHN ECKBERG | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER May 16, 2007 IMAGE: The first Epicenter - a store for e-tailers - will be in a former department store building in Newark, Del. Image Provided IMAGE: This artist's rendering shows how the Epicenter Collection will showcase the wares of retailers who previously had no physical store. Image Provided CINCINNATI - Federated Department Stores put a toe in the water of American retail reinvention Tuesday. It plans to convert a former Lord & Taylor store in Delaware into a showcase for catalog and online retailers that traditionally have not had storefronts. Called The Epicenter Collection, the concept will offer 180,000 to 200,000 square feet of retail mall space to non-bricks-and-mortar retailers. The former high-end department store in Newark, Del., will be converted to the new format during the next year and open for customers by fall 2008, said Jim Sluzewski, spokesman for Cincinnati-based Federated. "At this point, we're looking at a test in one store to see how it works," he said. "This is a new concept. It's interesting and innovative." ...
May 17, 200718 yr Federated finds Macy's not magic Conversions misfire; ads, sales in works By Sandra Jones Tribune staff reporter Published May 17, 2007 Federated Department Stores Inc. is discovering that shopping habits are hard to change. ---------- [email protected] Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-thu_federated0517may17,0,2676799.story?coll=chi-bizfront-hed
June 1, 200718 yr Now it's Macy's; shoppers yawn BY JOHN ECKBERG | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER June 1, 2007 CINCINNATI - The corporate name Federated Department Stores Inc. heads for retailing history today as the Cincinnati-based department store giant officially becomes Macy's Inc. and the "FD" stock symbol evaporates. In its place is that clever and cute little ticker symbol "M." The question is whether those changes - a new name, a new ticker - will reverse a couple of nagging trends: flubbed 2007 month-to-month sales guidance and continued resistance to the post-acquisition conversion of Marshall Field's stores to the Macy's nameplate in major markets. ...
June 7, 200718 yr Macy's sales slump is worse than expected "CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Macy's Inc. posted a larger-than-expected drop in May same-store sales Thursday, and the department-store giant said things aren't necessarily looking up for the near future, either. Before the start of trading, Macy's said same-store sales -- sales at stores open at least a year -- slumped 3.3% last month. That compares with the company's previously stated hopes for flat to down 2% same-store sales and an average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial for a slip of 1%. ... http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/macys-sales-slump-worse-expected/story.aspx?guid=%7BCA750DF9%2DBF1B%2D48D0%2DAF8C%2D7DD6E89404B0%7D
June 7, 200718 yr ^ Everyone knows that Macy's will be fine. It's like the Proctor & Gamble of department stores.
June 25, 200717 yr Macy's Shares Rise on Takeover Rumors Friday June 22, 7:28 pm ET Macy's Shares Up 9 Percent on Unconfirmed Rumor of a Buyout CINCINNATI (AP) -- Shares of Macy's Inc. jumped 9 percent Friday amid speculation that the department store operator was being targeted for a takeover. Macy's shares rose $3.52 to $42.39. Their 52-week range is $32.57 to $46.70. "The sheer movement of the stock and the volume of the calls would lead me to believe that people tend to think that there's something imminent coming out," said Andrew Wilkinson, senior market analyst at Interactive Brokers Group. ... http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070622/macy_s_speculation.html?.v=3
June 25, 200717 yr I'm secretly plotting to take Macy's over, move the Corporate HQ to Cleveland build the worlds largest and BEST department store!
June 25, 200717 yr I'm secretly plotting to take Macy's over, move the Corporate HQ to Cleveland build the worlds largest and BEST department store! Better hurry, it looks like someone else may beat you to it.
June 25, 200717 yr I'm secretly plotting to take Macy's over, move the Corporate HQ to Cleveland build the worlds largest and BEST department store! Better hurry, it looks like someone else may beat you to it. Everyone simma down na'! Seriously ... how many times have you read the headline in a Business Courier: "Takeover rumors cause _____ stock to skyrocket"? 20, 50, 100 times? ... lol.
July 11, 200717 yr Financial firm acquires chunk of Macy's stock July 11, 2007 | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER CINCINNATI - A New York investment firm revealed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it has acquired 11.2 percent of Macy's Inc.'s shares, Reuters reported Tuesday. AXA Financial Inc.'s filing did not provide information on when it acquired the 51.5 million shares, or at what price, Reuters said. The firm, which is an institutional investor, increased its stake in Macy's from 6 percent, and had already been the company's top institutional investor. ...
July 12, 200717 yr Good point. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 13, 200717 yr Clothed in buyout rumors Experts don't expect Macy's sale, but robust private equity market spurs buzz BY LISA BIANK FASIG | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER July 13, 2007 PHOTO: Macy's HQ in Cincinnati, shown with new logo on building. Mark Bowen | Courier CINCINNATI - In the world of investing, sometimes it makes sense to pull back the fabric and check the lining. Same goes for the ongoing speculation that Macy's Inc. is the target of a private takeover. The bigger question is not whether the retailer would make a good buy, but why so many large-scale rumors recently have surfaced. Since June 22, two reports have emerged that private investors wanted to buy Macy's - the first suggesting at $52 a share. And in April, another local giant - Kroger Co. - also was said to be in the private equity cross-hairs. None of these reports has yet to pan out, though the talk has affected their respective stocks. ...
July 19, 200717 yr Macy's Stock Up 7.6% Amid Questions About Debt Market Financing By Vicki M. Young with contributions by Erica Owen Private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts wants to close on a deal for Macy's Inc., but turmoil in the debt financing markets might get in the way. KKR is looking to acquire the retailer at $52 a share. Disclosure of the offer in WWD triggered a 7.6 percent surge in Macy's stock price on Wednesday. The volume of trading also jumped. ... http://www.wwd.com/issue/article/117419
September 19, 200717 yr Macy's to leave Columbus City Center Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:33 AM By Mike Pramik Macy's will pull out of Columbus City Center in November, its parent company announced today. The parent company said it is closing the Downtown department store because City Center has been underperforming. The company will continue to operate eight other Macy's and related stores in central Ohio. “While Macy's remains deeply committed to the Columbus community, the continued decline of customer traffic and business levels at City Center have led us to the decision to close the store this fall,” said William McNamara, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy's Midwest. “We will be working with the mall's owners to find the most productive long-term use of the Macy's space.” ... http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2007/09/19/citycenter.html
September 19, 200717 yr ^Yes. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 19, 200717 yr Now City Center can officially be re-named "Ohio's Largest Haunted House"..... or perhaps City Center Mausoleum. Truly sad, but ya had to see this coming. I'm surprised Macy's hung in there as long as they did.
September 19, 200717 yr That makes Cincinnati the only Ohio city with downtown department stores? Hamilton has a downtown Elder-Beerman.
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