Sales are down for the first 10 months of Macy's 2009 fiscal year following a two-year slump. But analysts expect localization to
help Macy's improve its sales and margins by next spring. Indeed, many of its best-performing districts in the third quarter were those that originally tested the MyMacy's concept.
Salespeople are also being given expanded roles. When a customer requests something that Macy's doesn't carry, it's recorded in a logbook. Managers review the logbooks and work with the sales associates and the district team to fulfill those requests. "It helps associates understand that their voice can make a difference," says Kathleen Allgeier, store manager at Macy's Kenwood Towne Centre in Cincinnati.
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