Macy's is now competing with the bottom of retail. The stores have too much product in the aisles you can't even walk without hitting something. The clearance racks have become permanent taking up more space of cheap clothes no one wanted 3 months ago. The registers are filled with chocolate bars, who buys that with clothes? They need to tone it down, get rid of all the red sales signs that just make it all seam cheap. Clear the aisles pay the associates a living wage so they will want to come to work and help the customers. Okay end of rant. :)
The clothes I actually like are usually $89, the clothes that I don’t want are 70% off at $19 😩. I usually buy at full price then buy some more when it goes on sale 2 months later. My main problem with Macys is lack of people working the registers (or working them efficiently). Every time I go in I cringe because I know I’ll be waiting 10 - 15 minutes just to cash out.
One of the problems is that the retail space is way too big. If they reduce the products on the aisles, the store will look empty. I do agree that it's over the top though.
I no longer know what to think of department stores. I'm 53, and grew up with them, but things have changed so much. Sorry to say, service is terrible, merchandise is shoddy, and they always seem so empty. Not sure what happened. Employees use to be hired to a department, knew the merchandise, and could ring up your purchase. The worse part is the "central" check-out - long lines, and you wait and wait, and like the post office, it seems like there are 4 registers, and 1 or 2 being used. Customer service, for the most part, has died in this country ....
I agree. I feel like this was the beginning of the end for my Sears store too. Once they went to central cashes and moved away from knowledgeable staff doe each department, it really went downhill fast. There was never anyone around, they were all at those cash stations, and couldn’t really help you. That was probably cheaper, but I feel like it was a bad move.
I stopped going out too much because everywhere is a tipping nightmare, tip at starbucks, tip at gas stations, tip at burger places, it is just a mess. I now make my own coffee and save myself the $10 and just shop online
@@sew_gal7340 I'm not sure that's relevant here. I've never heard of anyone tipping at a department store--except maybe a tailor who's doing alterations on a garment that was purchased there.
@@MatthewColorado It works both ways. Corporate greed is also a significant factor, and the reduction of services deemed too expensive by corporations (like cashiers and sales clerks) have forced customers to demand service or do without.
When I was younger, Macy’s was THE fancy department store in my hometown. If you got a Macy’s gift card for your birthday, you treated that thing like gold. My friends and I bought our prom dresses there and we thought we were hot stuff. Recently I went to the Macy’s where I currently live and it was a far cry from what I remembered it to be. Sad!
Macy's used to have a similar image as Nordstrom, prior to the 2006 buyout of the regional department store chains. It's been steadily downhill from there.
me too, living in ca i remember MACYs was like the fanciest place to buy clothes like nordstrom. but now since everyone is wearing leggings and shirts...clothes have lost that art. i never thought i would see the death of "dressing up" , i remember going to the mall was an excuse to look really fabulous
We all know Macy's carries a lot a good brands that people like, but I think one major thing effecting Macy's stores in a negative way is that a lot of other stores like Ross and Marshalls carry similar merchandise at a huge discounted price.
Another great Retail Archaeology video. I stop shopping at Macy's because of over pricing. If you are in any story and you see an item you want get your phone out and google it. Most likely you will find it cheaper somewhere else. If you are in a mall it just might be a store away. It has happen with me and saved me over 15.00 on an item I was looking for.
Macy's got too aggressive in their 2006 expansion, in which they gobbled up local department stores like crazy. People had built up loyalty and expected certain quality from stores like Marshall Field's, Filene's, etc. Macy's stomped on all those traditions, and they have been rewarded with their current predicament as a result.
Yep, live in Chicago area and there definitely was a backlash. Still are hard negative feelings, from them taking over in 2006. Although I do like that they kept the Walnut Room restaurant going on State Street, in addition to also keeping other parts of the State Street flagship alive(i.e. InFields Bar, etc). And of course, still sell Frango chocolates. The unused upper floors were recently sold off to another company, so we'll see how that conversion goes like. I always joke the only things that keep me going to ANY Macy's, are the Frango mints! That, and also that State St. has Walnut Room restaurant. But good luck getting in there during the holiday season, when the lines to get in are often extra long.
Wow, I didn't know they acquired and rebranded 330 stores in one deal. In my area they moved into a vacant mall anchor around the same time. Closed within the decade, not sure why. Now it's Kohl's.
In the 80s I remember going to a department store that sold records, personal computers (IBM PS2 IIRC), and fabric for sewing. Department stores can come back, but they have to do things better than Amazon. Amazon is today, but the secret is finding out what is next.
Unfortunately, with random shootings/terrorist activity at public places growing, I don't think we'll see a comeback. Until the terrorist are stomped out and law and order is returned to the country - something Trump is trying to do - less and less of our lives will be lived in public.
Don't think terrorists have anything to do with closing department stores ...this has been happening for 10 years now,, its eBay and Amazon that's doing damage. Online shopping is killing it
I worked at Macy’s for over 2 years, and during the holidays there’s a special holiday program called Thanks for Sharing. You can see signs talking about it in this video. Anyways, it costs $25 for Macy’s cardholders to enroll and then they get rewards for the rest of the year. My store pushed for us to enroll customers in this program as if our lives depended on it. They told us to take $25 off the customer’s purchase to basically make it a free enrollment, even if they were only spending like $30. With a sales pitch that easy, I was a natural at enrolling people. I enrolled about 600 people in 2 Christmas seasons. But then they decided to fire me for it out of nowhere despite me doing what they told me to do. No warning or anything. They fired some of my coworkers for this too. They woulda probably fired us for not getting enough enrollments either. I’ll never shop there again.
I'm born and raised in Chicago and have never once set foot in a Macy's since they bought out and closed our beloved Marshall Field's department stores. There was once a huge boycott against them here for doing that. I totally believe Macy's shunned a lot of customers from doing buyouts of regional department stores and slapping their name on the building.
They slapped their name on the buildings but didn't upgrade them to the standard Macy's was once known for. Marshall Field's may be different (never been to one) but some of the others they bought out like Foley's and Robinsons-May needed an upgrade.
Marshall Fields name has greater cache in Chicago than Bloomingdales, Saks, or Neimans. The fact they converted it to Macy's is a crime. Same thing in LA, Bullocks and Bullocks Wilshire were a step above, and two steps above Bloomingdales. Macy's is a good department store for what it is, a solidly mid level department store. They shoot themselves in the foot by constantly having sales, not hiring the best salespeople, while in some cases getting to close to what Bloomingdales sells on the high end.
Elevators +More You are very astute! These local names had heritage and were well known institutions in their respective areas, Macy's might have saved a little when converting to the parent company name but lost much more in the long run. However the middle class is becoming nonexistent as well, and that is destroying the market for middle class oriented businesses like Macy's.
In the early 80s macys used to sell electronics... My parents would drop me off there for a bit so i could listen to music on the home stereos while they shopped.... Sony,JVC, sansui, Sherwood and Fisher... Sanyo too IIRC... Pioneer and akai too
it got to the point it was no longer profitable to have electronics, department stores got out of that in the mid 90's, lots of the electronic employees went to the furniture dept
Macy's is apart of my life because I work there. The only retailer that decided to give me a break and hire me. My Macy's was a Broadway before Macy's bought them out in the 90's. It's usually busy on Saturday afternoons, especially at the women's shoe department, so it was strange seeing it empty Macy's. One thing I don't like is how much stock we get flooded before the holidays. We have shelfs where we put shoe boxes in and there's no space, so we have to make space, but my department is struggling for hours so we barely have time to add the shoes to inventory, put the shoes on to the wall neatly (which is standard) and get the displays out while the store is open.
Somehow it is. I go to my nearest one to buy jeans, but their service is awful. I waited 15 minutes for somebody to help me get the size shoe I need, nobody came, so I ended up leaving. I think I will be shopping at other stores from now on.
The writing is on the wall for old-school department stores, and I'm actually a bit sad to see them go. I still like buying clothes in physical stores--easier to try on a bunch of things and put back what you don't like/doesn't fit than having to return stuff online--and it's nice to be able to get a range of decent quality stuff in one place. The alternative is needing to go to a bunch of smaller stores that focus on one type or style of clothes, or your Old Navy/Target/Walmart that generally have lower quality. Kohl's has a similar range of products as a department store, although their prices seem to be going up.
One of the things I've noticed is that the stores that were always a Macys, and are older, are still really nice. There are even some "upscale" Macys that carry a lot of high end stuff. The ones that used to be other stores that they bought, are a pretty mixed bag and often pretty crappy. The one in NYC is truly a sight to behold.
Macy's has never been a part of my life. Since they had come to Chicago and hijacked Marshall Fields & Company (granted that company was on a downward slide as well), renamed all the stores and pretty much threw away the memories, I refused to shop or give them a single dime of my money. But I know they've done that to multiple local companies. It's all in the name of Brand Recognition. I recognize the brand as junk and spend my money elsewhere. It's terrible the employees have to bear the brunt of the executive mismanagement.
Macy's is in better financial shape then Sears. A Macy's at a dead mall in Virginia closed at the beginning of year leaving Sears the lone store. I don't shop at Macy's very often.
Never knew the 90s had Macy's catering to young men. I always considered the store catering to stay-at-home middle-aged/retired moms. Looks like they had a fun life. My nearest store that closed is Westgate Mall in Brockton, Massachusetts, when the store owner couldn't pay rent early this year. Keep it up with the videos, loving it, Retail Archaeology! 😎
Butteredcereal, now they cater to GAY men. Times have changed. PS: Brockton, tough town. Drove my car dead-center through Brockton for a year commuting to Stoughton. Roads were so bad, they tore up the suspension and steering rack in my two-year old Chevy Cobalt. Pit bulls and people getting shot downtown. Glad I'm away from there now.
I work in Macys Visual and the reason we start setting up Christmas soo early is because there is a lot of decoration to go up and it takes a while to set up :/
There are cold locations in AZ, as you get past Prescott and up towards the mountains you have flagstaff they not only get cold they even get a lot of snow in the winter too.!
Because they think it's cold when it's in the 50's. I lived there after I lived in Idaho and people kept telling me it was cold and I should bundle up because of it.
FYI: stores don’t totally ignore Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving stuff has been wrapped up with Halloween into a “harvest” theme for decor, with autumn color scheme and falling leaves etc. They put out the harvest decor in late August. They know that by late August, shoppers (women) are desperate for the coolness of fall, and those women eagerly buy up harvest stuff as soon as they can, to be ready for fall. By the time of Halloween, people have already bought all their harvest stuff (including Thanksgiving goods). Now those same women are desperate for Christmas! That’s why Christmas stuff is out so early.
The days of big format stores are coming to an end. Macy's like most counterparts has made it a practice to grossly underinvest in their human capital. Typically, the pay is $8.00 /hr with a part time schedule which varies. Walk into a Macys and typically you will see not one person on the entire floor. Had to do a wedding return spending 30 minutes searching the store for an associate. Keys to the jewelry and perfume lock up was left sitting out on the counter. Finally found an associate on middle floor who appeared very fatigued. Store itself was a real mess with ties tossed into a pile, shoes on floor, etc...
My mom worked in the China department at Macy's when she was in high school. She even got me favorite stuffed animal (a 25th anniversary Garfield) for Christmas from Macy's when I was 8.
My mom worked at a macy's that was pretty big for almost 30 years, and as a kid i got to go behind the scenes and even into the security room. It was really neat, and now I wish I could go back there to just video what it looks like lol.
Scottsdale Fashion Square Macy's opened around 2002 or 2003. The building was originally Dillard's in 1990. When Dillard's bought Diamond's, the 3 story anchor became a Dillard's Mens and Dillard's Womens occupied the shuttered Sakowitz (now Neiman Marcus) at Camelview Plaza. The 1990 anchor was built around the original Diamond's, which was gutted and transformed into mall space and food court and connected to Camelview Plaza. The Dillard's moved west into the former Bullocks (another one they bought) and gobbled up pretty much all of Camelview Plaza to create the largest single Dillard's in the entire chain. In 1999, dead Los Arcos Mall finally closed. Macy's decided not to keep that Broadway, so Scottsdale had to either go to The Biltmore or FIESTA MALL to shop Macy's (both having e floors). Sears moved out of Los Arcos and into the old Dillard's at Fashion Square and were open 2000-2001. They were practically chased out by the rich people of Scottsdale, clad in cashmere sweaters and armed with solid gold pitchforks (held by the help of course), probably. Too low end for the mall. Macy's there gets pretty busy. They decided to keep tgis location over the former Robinson's May that was at the east end. Don't be surprised there was a DJ. Different times of the year, each department store anchor has fashion shows. Nordstrom has champagne at theirs. I've also seen MAC use the food court as well. One thing to explain is how Dillard's and Macy's carry Michael Kors, even with a Michael Kors store taking up 2 spots in the mall outside of Macy's?
I use to work at Macy's when they were part of Federated and transitioned into Federated-May up until they started aggressively trying to close stores. I worked at the San Francisco Union Square building just before the merged the separate men's clothing store to the main Macy's building across the street. It felt like my entire time there there hadn't been a year where higher ups weren't talking about laying off people and closing down stores. Glad I left before the transitioned into just one building. Imagine having to stuff 5 floors of men's clothing into another building that's already all women's stuff. I was told by a former co-worker that there were a lot more employees on the floor than actual customers.
I went to Macy’s to get a cologne with no prior real knowledge beforehand as to what I was looking for. Immediately the woman from the women’s perfume department asked me if she could show me one right away that was her favorite that I must try. So I followed, it was a Dior. 116 dollars later I’m walking out with a Dior sauvage 100ml. Best choice in my life. They know their products, but they know their customer even more I feel. I hope Macy’s continues to remain strong. I will be buying from them again in a large purchase, I feel economically confident in spending large sums of money at this store.
The earlier stores start putting out Christmas stuff the more it shows how desperate they are for sales. When I worked in retail I'd get a lot of people complaining that Christmas was going up before Halloween. As much as we don't want to admit it, brick and mortar stores are dying out, life is too hectic and crazy now that we don't have time to kill in stores just to shop. We go in, get what want and leave. Or even better, just buy online and have it delivered while we work or go to school.
They turned a Kaufmann's building into a gigantic clearance center at a mall I used to live near. Always thought it wasn't a good sign for them to have that much clearance...
Davin Peterson: Nordstrom makes it a point not to put any Xmas decorations up until after Thanksgiving. They even put up signs explaining that they only celebrate one holiday at a time, and on the top is "Happy Thanksgiving!"
What I hated most about Macy's and other clothes stores is that everything has a "Discount" sign on it. If everything has a discount then nothing is actually discounted.
great video! I gotta say, the music is a big part of why i love your series! Addictive for 3 reasons 1-the visuals, 2-the music, 3-the information! Kudos. who knew mall stores could be so fascinating........
I've seen the Park Place Macy's pretty busy during weekends even with just basic foot traffic. Amazing that even with El Con and Foothills withering away, Park's still bustling along as usual. Thanks for covering my hometown malls, man. :)
May Co saw the handwriting on the wall in 2005, the upcoming collapse in our economy & the boom of the internet shopping. They let Macy's buy them for 5B and never adopted the strategy that May Co was beating them in malls all across the country. Profit in volume, not on each customer. Immediately they abandoned coupons & rebranded all regional chains, including the hotly contested Marshall Fields. Within a year, duplicate stores in malls closed (there were Macy's & Robinsons/May in AZ malls as an example) and CEO, Terry Lundgren apologized to May customers & stated would gradually start up coupons. After the 1, 2 punch it was too little especially with pending recession. Macy's is now smaller than the May Co. they bought and just announced closing flagship 34th street store in NYC. The parade at Thanksgiving goes the length of two sides of that store. The sale is set for Feb 2018. Macy's stated will have a small presence in the area. To me this is the death knell. I know all this because I worked at Rob/May in Arrowhead for 10 yrs during the growth period and left Macys 2.25 yrs after the acquisition.
All the department stores Macy's, Penny's and others have been around for years and have older locations that are not profitable anymore, which is why they are closing stores, plus they just don't need the number of stores they have, especially after merg/ buy out of May Company, which gave them double the amount of stores
Macy's came into my life when they bought out Robinsons-May and the nearest store became a Macy's because of that. I worked a holiday season there, it was what it was. They start playing Christmas music the day after Halloween and not only were we disgusted but customers would think it was too early as well. Honestly, I've never been a fan of dept stores like Macy's. I'm more a Ross and Marshalls kind of guy, I always get deals there for way less. I wouldn't miss them if they're gone but I wouldn't want them to leave because I know it'd affect a lot of people.
there's nothing for a store like Macy's to sell during Thanksgiving, unless it's a Home wares store, but since most of Macy's money is in Apparel/Cosmetics/Accessories, it's financially more understandable that they'd move into Holiday marketing.
They are decorated for Christmas because people start Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is more a food holiday and grocery stores do decorate for Thanksgiving.
I work at Macy’s I’m shocked at how busy my store is and how well we perform, then again the KMart down the street is hiring and I shit you not lol. But really, we all had a meeting about how the store that performs best of ALL Macy’s stores this holiday season gets awarded $40k, that seeds into a bonus for all. Except they are hiring 4,000 seasonal employees for ONE store yes I shit you not again. 🤦🏻♀️ Dead Macy’s are a regional thing
Macy's should have remained a "destination" store like it was before it took over all the local Federated/May stores nationwide (Jordan Marsh and Filene's here). It contributed to the lack of variety in malls, which in turn accelerated their decline (I find the everpresent Macy's/JC Penney/Sears really boring, and now these stores, Sears especially, are doing terrible, closing many locations, leaving empty anchors, which are a major cause of dying/dead malls). The only malls that seem to be doing well are the ones with Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, etc (the high end "destinations" only found at a few locations near major cities).
All department stores are struggling a lot the last few years. Sears is done but with the right decisions Macy's, JC Penney, and Dillard's can be saved.
Macy's is nice but their men's section - boys section lacks, I'm a shorter dude so boys fits me more then young men's clothes. I do enjoy the cosmetic section though and the makeup, the brightness and shiny aspects of the store. I feel cutting many celebrities from their advertising and lines really did them a disservice, i.e. Oprah, lady Gaga, even trump.
Macy's is nice but a bit expensive. Last time I was inside a Macy's was back in 2004 at the paddock mall in Ocala, FL when I was a teen, I buy something from there online once in a while.
I hate they got rid of the regional department stores. Macy’s basically swallowed them whole. Marshall Fields, LS Ayres, Famous Barr!!! All great stores that got it bad after being axed.
My local Macy's, a former Burdines (a regional chain) was just put on the chopping block, which actually came as a surprise, as the store gets a fair amount of traffic and the mall itself is relatively healthy (even the Sears is still in business, which is saying something). I actually wanted to go and shoot some video in there today before the liquidation sales start, but there were way too many people there
We never shopped at Macy's as a kid because it was too expensive. I still don't shop there. I think of it as a store for old rich ladies. Sometimes, now that I'm an adult, I'll go there for the makeup counter, but that's once in a blue moon. The only reason why I'd care if Macy's went out of business is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I've always loved watching it on t.v.
FYI: the “go professional” sign is hung over a display of professional-grade cookware. They want you to buy pricey pots and pans to look like a real chef when you entertain.
The Macy's near me in Danbury, CT is really weird. The mall it anchors only has two floors but the actual store is three floors. The Third floor has merchandise but it's so empty
Okay so I was listening to this video in the background, and when you said there was a finish line in the store I thought you meant like, a literal finish line on the ground or something and I was very confused.
I worked at Macy's last year and we were setting up Christmas trees the last week of September! Plus the employee discount doesn't include athletic shoes or chocolate, what else am I going to buy?
I started working at Lazarus in 1997 and then it was bought out by Macys. I was there almost 10 years, and actually enjoyed my job. (I was a counter manager for Estée Lauder) I left due to the constant badgering by our store manager to push credit cards on customers and pressure to meet unrealistic credit goals and am glad I did. The store I worked at then is now starting to lay off long time employees and it's hard to find help when you're shopping. The selection of in store merchandise is also not what it used to be. Sad, because I do like shopping there.
I have such nostalgia for Lazarus! My grandma also worked there for a long time, as far back as the Shillito-Rikes days in Cincinnati. She never had anything but good things to say about her job there. (Luckily she retired before the Macy's buyout)
In my hometown we had Burdines. Macys was also there but it was the store that was in the premier shopping mall like Aventura Mall, with Lord and Taylor. We need regional nameplates again and place 1-2 Macys in a metro area and make them premier stores again.
After Federated Dept Stores (Macy's) bought up the former Dayton-Hudson Corporation stores, I was thoroughly disgusted. Macy's is NOT anywhere NEAR as nice as Daytons and Hudsons were.
The Macy's at Park Place Mall is the best Macy's in Tucson. I really want to film the Freight Elevator there one of these days. The Macy's at Fashion Square was originally Dillard's, hence why the elevator is not glass. If the store opened as Macy's originally, the elevator most likely would have been glass.
I have to do some retakes in the mall corridors at that mall. There are 12 Service Elevators and 2 freights to my knowledge. I've heard from a friend who lives in Phoenix that there is a 3rd freight near Neiman Marcus and Dillard's. I hope to retake those elevators in the near future.
Macy's is a part of my life when I want to order Frango Mints. I grew up in department stores. I'm a 1950s kid. Worked in them, too. LOVED shopping, but at this point in my life I don't need anything from them. Well, except for Frango Mints at the holidays.
Poor Macy's! Here in Chicago they bought out Marshall Fields and I wish they wouldn't have! Marshall Fields was a more high end store, like Nordstrom, but now it's just "Discount this/Save 30% on that".
Macys has good clothes selection and I still have to go in the store to try them on before I buy. They need to capitalize on this. I say this as someone who’s in the late 30s and primarily shops online. I tried shopping for clothes online and it almost always ended in a return.
The Macy's store at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall used to be a Diamond's store first (became Dillard's in 1986). In 1999, Dillard's moved to a former Bullock's store in the mall, replacing the original store with Sears. Two years later, Sears closed at the Scottsdale Fashion Square (moved to Arcadia Crossing), finally replacing it with Macy's a year later.
While there are other videos by Ace's, Sal and WallieB, I have to say that this channel provides the best videos out of all of them. Definitely worth subscribing.
As the "Retail Apocalypse" marches on... As the landscape becomes littered with emptied out malls and outlets... A few will be repurposed. Most however, will be left to rot as brick and mortar declines. We will see the inevitable commercial property crash soon.
I wonder if the number of companies Macy's has bought over the years has been what has been contributing to the decline of malls. Some of them include Bullocks, The Broadway, Filenes, May Company, Robinsons, Robinsons May, LS Ayers, The Bob Marche, Rich's Jordan Marsh, Lazarus, and a whole bunch of others over the years. When stores merge they close some. Could the company have over expanded, run up too much debt, and then the decline of retail be what is partially responsible for killing the malls today?
They bought up a lot of stores and goofy things happened like you had 3 anchors and suddenly all of them became a Macy's. That may have led to some distaste in the brand in areas that were affected most. Their positioning, like all other retail, also has to adapt through population shifts. Macys tends to do quite well in residential areas with high income levels.
I think that this is 100% true. But I also think there is more to it. When you have two or more stores than merged at the same mall, you usually have to close one of them. This creates a vacant anchor store. Next, the justice department usually mandates a certain number of closures within a merger as well especially if there are two stores that are really close together within a certain area. The other thing I think Macy's did which may have contributed to their decline was go full out apparel when some of the other chains they bought had other lines (such as household items, electronics, jewelry, cookware, appliances, and others). Now not as many millennial's are into high end fashion (this is what killed several other chains recently that were smaller).
Never in my 32 years of life have i bought something from Macy's or from Jc penny, Bealls, or sears. I grew up lower middle class so we were always on a tight budget. Now, if i want to shop for brands i shop at Ross which imo it's cheaper than TJ max, Burlington and Marshall's.
Never was too big on Macy's, though there still is one in my local mall, which was originally a Hecht's until the Hecht's brand was phased out by Macy's in 2006. For clothes, I'm more of a Kohl's guy myself. I will say that my local Macy's appears to be doing well, attracting a lot of business. That might be because of the mall itself though, the Sears anchor at that same mall is busier than any Sears I've seen on RUclips.
I WAS THERE ! Too bad I didn't run in to you ! Yes, SFSM is renovating again, sections of the ceilings through out the mall are opened up. I was down around the Food Court and the Brookstone Shop areas. That MACYS use to be a SEARS. When they tore down LOS ARCOS MALL in 1998, the SEARS moved to SFSM. They were in SFSM for about three or four years. I use to work at the Sears in Los Arcos, that was my first job when I moved the AZ. from New England. Yeah, Christmas seems to come earlier every year. Next year they will probably start the day after the Fourth of July, L-O-L.
At my mall the Macy's is horrible. I think the roof leaked and it has a unbearable mildew smell even before you enter the store. I can't even stay in there for very long.
My local Macy’s stores are certainly thriving. Castleton’s Macy’s store was just extensively renovated and upgraded with new products, and the store is always busy. Glendale’s Macy’s isn’t as nice, but it is still busy.
Silly redcoats. Yea I know your our friendly northern neighbors. But your just a redcoat that really likes timmys and patoon?? poteen? pooo teeen? Ya know the fries with gravy and cheese curds on top... its yummy And your immune to weather soo cold the water in the air will freeze in the winter making a rainbow around the sun. A frozen rainbow! Umm that would make a good froze treat. Like a hand held thingy with a frozen yellow marshmallow in the middle.. And you would have layers of different kinds of frozen sherbert around the frozen yellow marshmallow.. Call it a frozen Canadian rainbow on a stick. ummmm.
Nice video. Have you considered doing a collab with Dan Bell? He does some excellent mall tours on his channel, and since you two have a similar style of filming you could do something good together.
Macy's is now competing with the bottom of retail. The stores have too much product in the aisles you can't even walk without hitting something. The clearance racks have become permanent taking up more space of cheap clothes no one wanted 3 months ago. The registers are filled with chocolate bars, who buys that with clothes? They need to tone it down, get rid of all the red sales signs that just make it all seam cheap. Clear the aisles pay the associates a living wage so they will want to come to work and help the customers. Okay end of rant. :)
The clothes I actually like are usually $89, the clothes that I don’t want are 70% off at $19 😩. I usually buy at full price then buy some more when it goes on sale 2 months later. My main problem with Macys is lack of people working the registers (or working them efficiently). Every time I go in I cringe because I know I’ll be waiting 10 - 15 minutes just to cash out.
The clearance racks are the only reasons I keep going to JCPenney and Macy’s. Walk right past all of the other crap in the store.
One of the problems is that the retail space is way too big. If they reduce the products on the aisles, the store will look empty. I do agree that it's over the top though.
@Jessica Anastasia Why should it be bigger if they're struggling with customers (in this particular store)?
I no longer know what to think of department stores. I'm 53, and grew up with them, but things have changed so much. Sorry to say, service is terrible, merchandise is shoddy, and they always seem so empty. Not sure what happened. Employees use to be hired to a department, knew the merchandise, and could ring up your purchase. The worse part is the "central" check-out - long lines, and you wait and wait, and like the post office, it seems like there are 4 registers, and 1 or 2 being used. Customer service, for the most part, has died in this country ....
I agree. I feel like this was the beginning of the end for my Sears store too. Once they went to central cashes and moved away from knowledgeable staff doe each department, it really went downhill fast. There was never anyone around, they were all at those cash stations, and couldn’t really help you. That was probably cheaper, but I feel like it was a bad move.
I stopped going out too much because everywhere is a tipping nightmare, tip at starbucks, tip at gas stations, tip at burger places, it is just a mess. I now make my own coffee and save myself the $10 and just shop online
@@sew_gal7340 I'm not sure that's relevant here. I've never heard of anyone tipping at a department store--except maybe a tailor who's doing alterations on a garment that was purchased there.
@@MatthewColorado
It works both ways. Corporate greed is also a significant factor, and the reduction of services deemed too expensive by corporations (like cashiers and sales clerks) have forced customers to demand service or do without.
Yea they don’t want to schedule enough employees
Macy’s used to be a unique store back in the 80’s and early 90’s. Nowadays it’s no different than a JC Penney’s or Kohl’s
When I was younger, Macy’s was THE fancy department store in my hometown. If you got a Macy’s gift card for your birthday, you treated that thing like gold. My friends and I bought our prom dresses there and we thought we were hot stuff. Recently I went to the Macy’s where I currently live and it was a far cry from what I remembered it to be. Sad!
Macy's used to have a similar image as Nordstrom, prior to the 2006 buyout of the regional department store chains. It's been steadily downhill from there.
me too, living in ca i remember MACYs was like the fanciest place to buy clothes like nordstrom. but now since everyone is wearing leggings and shirts...clothes have lost that art. i never thought i would see the death of "dressing up" , i remember going to the mall was an excuse to look really fabulous
We all know Macy's carries a lot a good brands that people like, but I think one major thing effecting Macy's stores in a negative way is that a lot of other stores like Ross and Marshalls carry similar merchandise at a huge discounted price.
Another great Retail Archaeology video. I stop shopping at Macy's because of over pricing. If you are in any story and you see an item you want get your phone out and google it. Most likely you will find it cheaper somewhere else. If you are in a mall it just might be a store away. It has happen with me and saved me over 15.00 on an item I was looking for.
Macy's got too aggressive in their 2006 expansion, in which they gobbled up local department stores like crazy. People had built up loyalty and expected certain quality from stores like Marshall Field's, Filene's, etc. Macy's stomped on all those traditions, and they have been rewarded with their current predicament as a result.
tgustafson85 there definitely seemed to be a backlash in Chicago when they took over Marshall Fields
And Foley's
I miss Marshall Field's
Yep, live in Chicago area and there definitely was a backlash. Still are hard negative feelings, from them taking over in 2006. Although I do like that they kept the Walnut Room restaurant going on State Street, in addition to also keeping other parts of the State Street flagship alive(i.e. InFields Bar, etc). And of course, still sell Frango chocolates. The unused upper floors were recently sold off to another company, so we'll see how that conversion goes like.
I always joke the only things that keep me going to ANY Macy's, are the Frango mints! That, and also that State St. has Walnut Room restaurant. But good luck getting in there during the holiday season, when the lines to get in are often extra long.
Wow, I didn't know they acquired and rebranded 330 stores in one deal. In my area they moved into a vacant mall anchor around the same time. Closed within the decade, not sure why. Now it's Kohl's.
In the 80s I remember going to a department store that sold records, personal computers (IBM PS2 IIRC), and fabric for sewing. Department stores can come back, but they have to do things better than Amazon. Amazon is today, but the secret is finding out what is next.
Unfortunately, with random shootings/terrorist activity at public places growing, I don't think we'll see a comeback. Until the terrorist are stomped out and law and order is returned to the country - something Trump is trying to do - less and less of our lives will be lived in public.
Don't think terrorists have anything to do with closing department stores ...this has been happening for 10 years now,, its eBay and Amazon that's doing damage. Online shopping is killing it
I worked at Macy’s for over 2 years, and during the holidays there’s a special holiday program called Thanks for Sharing. You can see signs talking about it in this video. Anyways, it costs $25 for Macy’s cardholders to enroll and then they get rewards for the rest of the year. My store pushed for us to enroll customers in this program as if our lives depended on it. They told us to take $25 off the customer’s purchase to basically make it a free enrollment, even if they were only spending like $30. With a sales pitch that easy, I was a natural at enrolling people. I enrolled about 600 people in 2 Christmas seasons. But then they decided to fire me for it out of nowhere despite me doing what they told me to do. No warning or anything. They fired some of my coworkers for this too. They woulda probably fired us for not getting enough enrollments either. I’ll never shop there again.
This is why people just go on welfare
I'm born and raised in Chicago and have never once set foot in a Macy's since they bought out and closed our beloved Marshall Field's department stores. There was once a huge boycott against them here for doing that. I totally believe Macy's shunned a lot of customers from doing buyouts of regional department stores and slapping their name on the building.
I went to Macy's only once, and that was because my friend from Evergreen Park had her wedding registry there. Marshall Field's was better.
They slapped their name on the buildings but didn't upgrade them to the standard Macy's was once known for. Marshall Field's may be different (never been to one) but some of the others they bought out like Foley's and Robinsons-May needed an upgrade.
Macy's really screwed up rebranding all of those respected department stores like Marshall Fields and the Bon Marche.
Totally agree. The local department stores always could adjust and support their market. I miss the Houston-based "Foley's" stores.
don't forget Foley's in texas
Also Robinsons-May and Bullock's in SoCal
Marshall Fields name has greater cache in Chicago than Bloomingdales, Saks, or Neimans. The fact they converted it to Macy's is a crime. Same thing in LA, Bullocks and Bullocks Wilshire were a step above, and two steps above Bloomingdales. Macy's is a good department store for what it is, a solidly mid level department store. They shoot themselves in the foot by constantly having sales, not hiring the best salespeople, while in some cases getting to close to what Bloomingdales sells on the high end.
Elevators +More
You are very astute! These local names had heritage and were well known institutions in their respective areas, Macy's might have saved a little when converting to the parent company name but lost much more in the long run.
However the middle class is becoming nonexistent as well, and that is destroying the market for middle class oriented businesses like Macy's.
In the early 80s macys used to sell electronics... My parents would drop me off there for a bit so i could listen to music on the home stereos while they shopped.... Sony,JVC, sansui, Sherwood and Fisher... Sanyo too IIRC... Pioneer and akai too
it got to the point it was no longer profitable to have electronics, department stores got out of that in the mid 90's, lots of the electronic employees went to the furniture dept
Macy's is apart of my life because I work there. The only retailer that decided to give me a break and hire me. My Macy's was a Broadway before Macy's bought them out in the 90's. It's usually busy on Saturday afternoons, especially at the women's shoe department, so it was strange seeing it empty Macy's. One thing I don't like is how much stock we get flooded before the holidays. We have shelfs where we put shoe boxes in and there's no space, so we have to make space, but my department is struggling for hours so we barely have time to add the shoes to inventory, put the shoes on to the wall neatly (which is standard) and get the displays out while the store is open.
Yes, my day is happy, a new retail Archaeology has been posted.
Somehow it is. I go to my nearest one to buy jeans, but their service is awful. I waited 15 minutes for somebody to help me get the size shoe I need, nobody came, so I ended up leaving. I think I will be shopping at other stores from now on.
I spy...zero employees
funny, that is the budget they have for staff as well
The writing is on the wall for old-school department stores, and I'm actually a bit sad to see them go. I still like buying clothes in physical stores--easier to try on a bunch of things and put back what you don't like/doesn't fit than having to return stuff online--and it's nice to be able to get a range of decent quality stuff in one place. The alternative is needing to go to a bunch of smaller stores that focus on one type or style of clothes, or your Old Navy/Target/Walmart that generally have lower quality. Kohl's has a similar range of products as a department store, although their prices seem to be going up.
R.D. Dragon in Canada sears is done Hudson’s bay isn’t far behind, I shop at winners (it’s the Canadian version of tj maxx) and Marshalls
I’m also from Canada and don’t worry, there will always be department stores even tho be less of them…
macy's tries to be a high-class department store, but it's just tacky and full of old people...
Macy's is THE Department store. They been around quite sometime. Stores like Boscovs and Penneys try to be Macy's.
Old people don't shop in my store!
@Jessica Anastasia cuz I'm not old.
@@kingjames4886
Yer mom is old.
Doh, feel the burn.
@@monkeywkeys3916 she don't shop at macy's lol
@@monkeywkeys3916 lol
One of the things I've noticed is that the stores that were always a Macys, and are older, are still really nice. There are even some "upscale" Macys that carry a lot of high end stuff. The ones that used to be other stores that they bought, are a pretty mixed bag and often pretty crappy. The one in NYC is truly a sight to behold.
Macy's has never been a part of my life. Since they had come to Chicago and hijacked Marshall Fields & Company (granted that company was on a downward slide as well), renamed all the stores and pretty much threw away the memories, I refused to shop or give them a single dime of my money.
But I know they've done that to multiple local companies. It's all in the name of Brand Recognition.
I recognize the brand as junk and spend my money elsewhere. It's terrible the employees have to bear the brunt of the executive mismanagement.
Macy's = People Who Annoy You Randy Marsh Style
Macy's is in better financial shape then Sears. A Macy's at a dead mall in Virginia closed at the beginning of year leaving Sears the lone store. I don't shop at Macy's very often.
Never knew the 90s had Macy's catering to young men. I always considered the store catering to stay-at-home middle-aged/retired moms. Looks like they had a fun life.
My nearest store that closed is Westgate Mall in Brockton, Massachusetts, when the store owner couldn't pay rent early this year.
Keep it up with the videos, loving it, Retail Archaeology! 😎
Butteredcereal, now they cater to GAY men. Times have changed. PS: Brockton, tough town. Drove my car dead-center through Brockton for a year commuting to Stoughton. Roads were so bad, they tore up the suspension and steering rack in my two-year old Chevy Cobalt. Pit bulls and people getting shot downtown. Glad I'm away from there now.
I work in Macys Visual and the reason we start setting up Christmas soo early is because there is a lot of decoration to go up and it takes a while to set up :/
Why would they sell thick winter coats in AZ? I seen a lot of that in stock.
There are cold locations in AZ, as you get past Prescott and up towards the mountains you have flagstaff they not only get cold they even get a lot of snow in the winter too.!
atomicpuppet it does get cold in Northern Arizona in winter nights. I went to Tubs City back in 2006,2007, 2009 it got to single digits.
FB friend of mine lives in a small town in Northern AZ, he was stuck in his house for a week last winter because of a heavy snowstorm!
Not sure why they would in the likes of Phoenix or Tucson, at least so early but in the high country it can get quite cold
Because they think it's cold when it's in the 50's. I lived there after I lived in Idaho and people kept telling me it was cold and I should bundle up because of it.
FYI: stores don’t totally ignore Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving stuff has been wrapped up with Halloween into a “harvest” theme for decor, with autumn color scheme and falling leaves etc. They put out the harvest decor in late August. They know that by late August, shoppers (women) are desperate for the coolness of fall, and those women eagerly buy up harvest stuff as soon as they can, to be ready for fall. By the time of Halloween, people have already bought all their harvest stuff (including Thanksgiving goods). Now those same women are desperate for Christmas! That’s why Christmas stuff is out so early.
The days of big format stores are coming to an end. Macy's like most counterparts has made it a practice to grossly underinvest in their human capital. Typically, the pay is $8.00 /hr with a part time schedule which varies. Walk into a Macys and typically you will see not one person on the entire floor. Had to do a wedding return spending 30 minutes searching the store for an associate. Keys to the jewelry and perfume lock up was left sitting out on the counter. Finally found an associate on middle floor who appeared very fatigued. Store itself was a real mess with ties tossed into a pile, shoes on floor, etc...
I like Macy*s........ but, just realized, I haven't been in one for about 12 years.......
My mom worked in the China department at Macy's when she was in high school. She even got me favorite stuffed animal (a 25th anniversary Garfield) for Christmas from Macy's when I was 8.
CurlyTop1995, LOL China Department
My mom worked at a macy's that was pretty big for almost 30 years, and as a kid i got to go behind the scenes and even into the security room. It was really neat, and now I wish I could go back there to just video what it looks like lol.
Scottsdale Fashion Square Macy's opened around 2002 or 2003. The building was originally Dillard's in 1990. When Dillard's bought Diamond's, the 3 story anchor became a Dillard's Mens and Dillard's Womens occupied the shuttered Sakowitz (now Neiman Marcus) at Camelview Plaza. The 1990 anchor was built around the original Diamond's, which was gutted and transformed into mall space and food court and connected to Camelview Plaza. The Dillard's moved west into the former Bullocks (another one they bought) and gobbled up pretty much all of Camelview Plaza to create the largest single Dillard's in the entire chain. In 1999, dead Los Arcos Mall finally closed. Macy's decided not to keep that Broadway, so Scottsdale had to either go to The Biltmore or FIESTA MALL to shop Macy's (both having e floors). Sears moved out of Los Arcos and into the old Dillard's at Fashion Square and were open 2000-2001. They were practically chased out by the rich people of Scottsdale, clad in cashmere sweaters and armed with solid gold pitchforks (held by the help of course), probably. Too low end for the mall. Macy's there gets pretty busy. They decided to keep tgis location over the former Robinson's May that was at the east end. Don't be surprised there was a DJ. Different times of the year, each department store anchor has fashion shows. Nordstrom has champagne at theirs. I've also seen MAC use the food court as well. One thing to explain is how Dillard's and Macy's carry Michael Kors, even with a Michael Kors store taking up 2 spots in the mall outside of Macy's?
I use to work at Macy's when they were part of Federated and transitioned into Federated-May up until they started aggressively trying to close stores. I worked at the San Francisco Union Square building just before the merged the separate men's clothing store to the main Macy's building across the street. It felt like my entire time there there hadn't been a year where higher ups weren't talking about laying off people and closing down stores. Glad I left before the transitioned into just one building. Imagine having to stuff 5 floors of men's clothing into another building that's already all women's stuff. I was told by a former co-worker that there were a lot more employees on the floor than actual customers.
Always fascinating! Do you ever dream about malls? Thanks for another glimpse into retail history. ☮️✌️🕊️
I went to Macy’s to get a cologne with no prior real knowledge beforehand as to what I was looking for. Immediately the woman from the women’s perfume department asked me if she could show me one right away that was her favorite that I must try. So I followed, it was a Dior. 116 dollars later I’m walking out with a Dior sauvage 100ml. Best choice in my life. They know their products, but they know their customer even more I feel. I hope Macy’s continues to remain strong. I will be buying from them again in a large purchase, I feel economically confident in spending large sums of money at this store.
The earlier stores start putting out Christmas stuff the more it shows how desperate they are for sales. When I worked in retail I'd get a lot of people complaining that Christmas was going up before Halloween.
As much as we don't want to admit it, brick and mortar stores are dying out, life is too hectic and crazy now that we don't have time to kill in stores just to shop. We go in, get what want and leave. Or even better, just buy online and have it delivered while we work or go to school.
They turned a Kaufmann's building into a gigantic clearance center at a mall I used to live near. Always thought it wasn't a good sign for them to have that much clearance...
I don't like stores starting Christmas on November 1. We can't forget about Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time
Davin Peterson: Nordstrom makes it a point not to put any Xmas decorations up until after Thanksgiving. They even put up signs explaining that they only celebrate one holiday at a time, and on the top is "Happy Thanksgiving!"
What I hated most about Macy's and other clothes stores is that everything has a "Discount" sign on it. If everything has a discount then nothing is actually discounted.
great video! I gotta say, the music is a big part of why i love your series! Addictive for 3 reasons 1-the visuals, 2-the music, 3-the information! Kudos. who knew mall stores could be so fascinating........
I've seen the Park Place Macy's pretty busy during weekends even with just basic foot traffic. Amazing that even with El Con and Foothills withering away, Park's still bustling along as usual. Thanks for covering my hometown malls, man. :)
May Co saw the handwriting on the wall in 2005, the upcoming collapse in our economy & the boom of the internet shopping. They let Macy's buy them for 5B and never adopted the strategy that May Co was beating them in malls all across the country. Profit in volume, not on each customer. Immediately they abandoned coupons & rebranded all regional chains, including the hotly contested Marshall Fields. Within a year, duplicate stores in malls closed (there were Macy's & Robinsons/May in AZ malls as an example) and CEO, Terry Lundgren apologized to May customers & stated would gradually start up coupons. After the 1, 2 punch it was too little especially with pending recession. Macy's is now smaller than the May Co. they bought and just announced closing flagship 34th street store in NYC. The parade at Thanksgiving goes the length of two sides of that store. The sale is set for Feb 2018. Macy's stated will have a small presence in the area. To me this is the death knell. I know all this because I worked at Rob/May in Arrowhead for 10 yrs during the growth period and left Macys 2.25 yrs after the acquisition.
All the department stores Macy's, Penny's and others have been around for years and have older locations that are not profitable anymore, which is why they are closing stores, plus they just don't need the number of stores they have, especially after merg/ buy out of May Company, which gave them double the amount of stores
Macy's came into my life when they bought out Robinsons-May and the nearest store became a Macy's because of that. I worked a holiday season there, it was what it was. They start playing Christmas music the day after Halloween and not only were we disgusted but customers would think it was too early as well.
Honestly, I've never been a fan of dept stores like Macy's. I'm more a Ross and Marshalls kind of guy, I always get deals there for way less. I wouldn't miss them if they're gone but I wouldn't want them to leave because I know it'd affect a lot of people.
Hate, HATE that stores are disregarding Thanksgiving now a days.
there's nothing for a store like Macy's to sell during Thanksgiving, unless it's a Home wares store, but since most of Macy's money is in Apparel/Cosmetics/Accessories, it's financially more understandable that they'd move into Holiday marketing.
They are decorated for Christmas because people start Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is more a food holiday and grocery stores do decorate for Thanksgiving.
I think many retailers are picking up on the fact that Thanksgiving for some is a terrible time to remember.
There was an Amazon add before the video started. How ironic.
I work at Macy’s I’m shocked at how busy my store is and how well we perform, then again the KMart down the street is hiring and I shit you not lol. But really, we all had a meeting about how the store that performs best of ALL Macy’s stores this holiday season gets awarded $40k, that seeds into a bonus for all. Except they are hiring 4,000 seasonal employees for ONE store yes I shit you not again. 🤦🏻♀️ Dead Macy’s are a regional thing
Macy's should have remained a "destination" store like it was before it took over all the local Federated/May stores nationwide (Jordan Marsh and Filene's here). It contributed to the lack of variety in malls, which in turn accelerated their decline (I find the everpresent Macy's/JC Penney/Sears really boring, and now these stores, Sears especially, are doing terrible, closing many locations, leaving empty anchors, which are a major cause of dying/dead malls). The only malls that seem to be doing well are the ones with Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, etc (the high end "destinations" only found at a few locations near major cities).
agreed! macy*s destroyed many beloved regional stores.
All department stores are struggling a lot the last few years. Sears is done but with the right decisions Macy's, JC Penney, and Dillard's can be saved.
Macy's is nice but their men's section - boys section lacks, I'm a shorter dude so boys fits me more then young men's clothes. I do enjoy the cosmetic section though and the makeup, the brightness and shiny aspects of the store. I feel cutting many celebrities from their advertising and lines really did them a disservice, i.e. Oprah, lady Gaga, even trump.
Macy's is nice but a bit expensive. Last time I was inside a Macy's was back in 2004 at the paddock mall in Ocala, FL when I was a teen, I buy something from there online once in a while.
I hate they got rid of the regional department stores. Macy’s basically swallowed them whole. Marshall Fields, LS Ayres, Famous Barr!!! All great stores that got it bad after being axed.
My local Macy's, a former Burdines (a regional chain) was just put on the chopping block, which actually came as a surprise, as the store gets a fair amount of traffic and the mall itself is relatively healthy (even the Sears is still in business, which is saying something).
I actually wanted to go and shoot some video in there today before the liquidation sales start, but there were way too many people there
We never shopped at Macy's as a kid because it was too expensive. I still don't shop there. I think of it as a store for old rich ladies. Sometimes, now that I'm an adult, I'll go there for the makeup counter, but that's once in a blue moon. The only reason why I'd care if Macy's went out of business is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I've always loved watching it on t.v.
Retailers skip over TG because it's the holiday all about food and family. and there's no TG music, well maybe one song. can you guess what it is?
........"Macy's Is Having A One Day Sale"......Every Damn Day......I Got Your RED STAR Right Here.....
I like Macy's too. Luckily, Macy's stores did well during the 2017 holiday season. Hopefully, the steady sales trend will continue for the company 🤞🏻
Mark's jacket is awesome BTW. I love shopping at Hot Topic too. :D
Well here in Maine the Bangor mall in Bangor Maine that Macy's has been gone for at least 2 years
FYI: the “go professional” sign is hung over a display of professional-grade cookware. They want you to buy pricey pots and pans to look like a real chef when you entertain.
The Macy's near me in Danbury, CT is really weird. The mall it anchors only has two floors but the actual store is three floors. The Third floor has merchandise but it's so empty
Okay so I was listening to this video in the background, and when you said there was a finish line in the store I thought you meant like, a literal finish line on the ground or something and I was very confused.
I worked at Macy's last year and we were setting up Christmas trees the last week of September! Plus the employee discount doesn't include athletic shoes or chocolate, what else am I going to buy?
Christmas Tree up in September? That should be a Crime against Humanity.
Tbh I always just went in there to buy chocolate
athletic shoes is a concession, but you do get the employee discount on your macys card, you just cannot use the employee macys money etc
every single other thing other than chocolate and shoes? who buys shoes and chocolate at a damn Macys?
The Macy’s at Arrowhead Mall in Peoria AZ is also busy
I started working at Lazarus in 1997 and then it was bought out by Macys. I was there almost 10 years, and actually enjoyed my job. (I was a counter manager for Estée Lauder)
I left due to the constant badgering by our store manager to push credit cards on customers and pressure to meet unrealistic credit goals and am glad I did. The store I worked at then is now starting to lay off long time employees and it's hard to find help when you're shopping. The selection of in store merchandise is also not what it used to be. Sad, because I do like shopping there.
I have such nostalgia for Lazarus! My grandma also worked there for a long time, as far back as the Shillito-Rikes days in Cincinnati. She never had anything but good things to say about her job there. (Luckily she retired before the Macy's buyout)
I miss the Macy’s in Pontiac formerly known as Hudson’s Unique ceilings
In my hometown we had Burdines. Macys was also there but it was the store that was in the premier shopping mall like Aventura Mall, with Lord and Taylor. We need regional nameplates again and place 1-2 Macys in a metro area and make them premier stores again.
After Federated Dept Stores (Macy's) bought up the former Dayton-Hudson Corporation stores, I was thoroughly disgusted. Macy's is NOT anywhere NEAR as nice as Daytons and Hudsons were.
Pete S. Exactly. The Hudson's in Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids was beautiful. 😢
Macy’s bought my local chain, L.S. Ayres, I was so disappointed. Ayres was SUCH a nice store, and Macy's just came in and ruined it.
Great analogy with the Macy's business. Amazon ,Amazon, Amazon will dominate the retail market. 👌
I always like those small narrow style escalators. Very unique.
I noticed a filthy carpet and must be trying to catch up with Sears on a lack of cleanliness.
The Macy's at Park Place Mall is the best Macy's in Tucson. I really want to film the Freight Elevator there one of these days. The Macy's at Fashion Square was originally Dillard's, hence why the elevator is not glass. If the store opened as Macy's originally, the elevator most likely would have been glass.
+skyvator speaking of Fashion Square mall, I got to ride a mall freight elevator there. It will be in a future episode of mall guts ☺
I have to do some retakes in the mall corridors at that mall. There are 12 Service Elevators and 2 freights to my knowledge. I've heard from a friend who lives in Phoenix that there is a 3rd freight near Neiman Marcus and Dillard's. I hope to retake those elevators in the near future.
I love how the Macy’s the second one was so busy makes me so happy
In Chicago we don't call it Macy's it's Marshall Field's the original name
Macy's is a part of my life when I want to order Frango Mints. I grew up in department stores. I'm a 1950s kid. Worked in them, too. LOVED shopping, but at this point in my life I don't need anything from them. Well, except for Frango Mints at the holidays.
Poor Macy's! Here in Chicago they bought out Marshall Fields and I wish they wouldn't have! Marshall Fields was a more high end store, like Nordstrom, but now it's just "Discount this/Save 30% on that".
Macys has good clothes selection and I still have to go in the store to try them on before I buy. They need to capitalize on this. I say this as someone who’s in the late 30s and primarily shops online. I tried shopping for clothes online and it almost always ended in a return.
The Macy's store at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall used to be a Diamond's store first (became Dillard's in 1986). In 1999, Dillard's moved to a former Bullock's store in the mall, replacing the original store with Sears. Two years later, Sears closed at the Scottsdale Fashion Square (moved to Arcadia Crossing), finally replacing it with Macy's a year later.
While there are other videos by Ace's, Sal and WallieB, I have to say that this channel provides the best videos out of all of them. Definitely worth subscribing.
The design, the layout, the material used reminds me a lot of The Bay/LaBaie here in Canada.
That blocked off area on the 3rd floor use to be the kids department
As the "Retail Apocalypse" marches on...
As the landscape becomes littered with emptied out malls and outlets...
A few will be repurposed. Most however, will be left to rot as brick and mortar declines.
We will see the inevitable commercial property crash soon.
I wonder if the number of companies Macy's has bought over the years has been what has been contributing to the decline of malls. Some of them include Bullocks, The Broadway, Filenes, May Company, Robinsons, Robinsons May, LS Ayers, The Bob Marche, Rich's Jordan Marsh, Lazarus, and a whole bunch of others over the years. When stores merge they close some. Could the company have over expanded, run up too much debt, and then the decline of retail be what is partially responsible for killing the malls today?
They bought up a lot of stores and goofy things happened like you had 3 anchors and suddenly all of them became a Macy's. That may have led to some distaste in the brand in areas that were affected most. Their positioning, like all other retail, also has to adapt through population shifts. Macys tends to do quite well in residential areas with high income levels.
I think that this is 100% true. But I also think there is more to it. When you have two or more stores than merged at the same mall, you usually have to close one of them. This creates a vacant anchor store. Next, the justice department usually mandates a certain number of closures within a merger as well especially if there are two stores that are really close together within a certain area.
The other thing I think Macy's did which may have contributed to their decline was go full out apparel when some of the other chains they bought had other lines (such as household items, electronics, jewelry, cookware, appliances, and others). Now not as many millennial's are into high end fashion (this is what killed several other chains recently that were smaller).
Never in my 32 years of life have i bought something from Macy's or from Jc penny, Bealls, or sears. I grew up lower middle class so we were always on a tight budget. Now, if i want to shop for brands i shop at Ross which imo it's cheaper than TJ max, Burlington and Marshall's.
I was at the one in Scottsdale in May and it was super busy. I had to wait in line to pay. This store is definitely not "struggling".
that jacket for $149 with Sequins is likely $79 or $89 on sale.
Never was too big on Macy's, though there still is one in my local mall, which was originally a Hecht's until the Hecht's brand was phased out by Macy's in 2006. For clothes, I'm more of a Kohl's guy myself. I will say that my local Macy's appears to be doing well, attracting a lot of business. That might be because of the mall itself though, the Sears anchor at that same mall is busier than any Sears I've seen on RUclips.
How old are you? I’m 33 and I really like ur videos, I have that same nostalgia for malls.
we have an area with open ceiling at my store. its not renovation v:
Can you do marshalls or tj maxx
They are nowhere near dying.
I WAS THERE ! Too bad I didn't run in to you ! Yes, SFSM is renovating again, sections of the ceilings through out the mall are opened up. I was down around the Food Court and the Brookstone Shop areas. That MACYS use to be a SEARS. When they tore down LOS ARCOS MALL in 1998, the SEARS moved to SFSM. They were in SFSM for about three or four years. I use to work at the Sears in Los Arcos, that was my first job when I moved the AZ. from New England. Yeah, Christmas seems to come earlier every year. Next year they will probably start the day after the Fourth of July, L-O-L.
At my mall the Macy's is horrible. I think the roof leaked and it has a unbearable mildew smell even before you enter the store. I can't even stay in there for very long.
I really hope the Frangos don't go away. They are an old favorite treat of mine.
Very good quality video!!!
Do a video on gateway computers! They tried to get into other consumer electronics and made the first smart TV.
Man you're a machine with these uploads lately.
I think Thanksgiving has always just been an extension of the Christmas season.
My local Macy’s stores are certainly thriving. Castleton’s Macy’s store was just extensively renovated and upgraded with new products, and the store is always busy. Glendale’s Macy’s isn’t as nice, but it is still busy.
Well where I’m from Thanksgiving was in October 9th.
Silly redcoats. Yea I know your our friendly northern neighbors. But your just a redcoat that really likes timmys and patoon?? poteen? pooo teeen? Ya know the fries with gravy and cheese curds on top... its yummy
And your immune to weather soo cold the water in the air will freeze in the winter making a rainbow around the sun. A frozen rainbow!
Umm that would make a good froze treat. Like a hand held thingy with a frozen yellow marshmallow in the middle.. And you would have layers of different kinds of frozen sherbert around the frozen yellow marshmallow.. Call it a frozen Canadian rainbow on a stick. ummmm.
Eecaj Ledo you forgot Canadians love hockey as its our #1 sport Eh.
Always glad when you upload a new video.
Nice video. Have you considered doing a collab with Dan Bell? He does some excellent mall tours on his channel, and since you two have a similar style of filming you could do something good together.
Prince Goat Cheese Dan Bell stopped doing them....
He uploaded a new mall video a few weeks ago.