Macy's thinks the future of retail is
shrinking. The company announced accelerating plans to expand its small-format concept and will open 30 more of the wee locations starting next year. That’s in addition to the 15 downsized
stores already open for business, including the just-opened Bloomie’s in Seattle.
The smaller stores, roughly one-fifth the size of a typical Macy’s, are designed to showcase
on-trend merchandise and offer more convenient services, including picking up digital orders, exchanges and returns – all while making it easier for customers to get in and out.
The
company says the decision is based on the superior performance of the small stores opened for an entire year. Because they are located in off-mall shopping centers, they bring Macy’s closer to
target customers and encourage more frequent visits.
“Our small-format stores are efficient to operate, provide the customer with a shopping alternative within our omnichannel ecosystem
and present a unique opportunity to target high-traffic shopping centers,” says Adrian Mitchell, chief operating officer and chief financial officer for Macy’s, Inc. in the announcement.
“Our small-format strategy is one way we intend to harness the full power of the Macy’s brand to deliver sustainable, profitable sales growth for Macy’s, Inc. beginning in
2024.”
Bloomie’s, the smaller sibling of Bloomingdale’s, is also part of the small-is-good strategy. In addition to the new Seattle store, it has a store in Fairfax,
Virginia. and the Chicagoland area.
In an appearance on Jim Cramer’s “Mad Money” show on CNBC, Macy’s execs shared that Bloomie’s, which caters to more luxury
clients, and Bluemercury, Macy’s beauty retailer, will provide growth opportunities ahead.
That’s good, because growth has been hard for Macy’s to find. The department store
category has been challenged for years, and the current pullback in apparel spending isn’t helping. In the company’s most recent quarter, sales fell 8% to $5 billion, and digital sales --
once seen as a growth avenue -- dropped 10%. At Bloomingdale’s, sales fell 2.7%.
While competitors, including Kohl’s and JC Penney on the lower end and Nordstrom and Saks on the
higher end, have also been challenged, some observers say Macy’s response to changing consumer preferences haven’t gone far enough.
“Macy’s is struggling to stay
relevant as consumers have many choices,” wrote David Swartz, an analyst who follows Macy’s for Morningstar, following the retailer’s last earnings report. “We think
Macy’s has been too slow to respond to competitive threats and lacks the efficiency of fast fashion, the customer service of luxury retailers, or the low prices of discounters.”