• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer, Yesterday

Macy’s has a lot to celebrate this year: The retailer’s Thanksgiving Parade turns 100, the July Fourth Fireworks turn 50, and its corporate turnaround efforts are paying off.

With “Celebrations Start at Macy’s,” the company hopes to turn a year-long party platform into a way to boost both sales and cultural relevance, using storytelling, in-store experiences and brand-led engagement at stores around the country.

The campaign kicks off this week with store events tied to prom, including personal styling, live beauty demos, DJs, customization bars, and gift bags. The effort will also link to Mother's Day, Father’s Day, the 50th Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, fall fashion and 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“With ‘Celebrations Start at Macy’s,’ we’re turning retail into experience, bringing emotion, anticipation and joy into every occasion,” said Sharon Otterman, Macy’s CMO, in the release. "From everyday celebrations to our most iconic traditions, Macy’s creates reasons to connect.”

“Celebration Saturdays” will become one linchpin, marking both big and small celebrations. And a “Surprise and Delight” strategy starts in May, 50 days before the fireworks, offering daily celebration moments in stores and online, as well as chances to be the company’s guest at the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Contest entrants will compete for a chance to customize the confetti that will be used at that event.

The push comes as the retailer continues to gain ground in its massive transformation effort, which has involved closing dozens of underperforming stores, and transferring what works at its 125 highest-performing units, called the “Reimagine” stores, throughout the fleet.

In its most recent quarterly results, Macy’s posted its strongest comparable sales growth in 13 quarters and achieved its second consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth.

Macy’s will report fourth-quarter numbers, including holiday results, later this month.

Some analysts remain skeptical, despite the company’s progress in its transformation plan. “Macy’s is struggling to stay relevant as consumers have many choices,” writes David Swartz, who covers the retailer for Morningstar. He calls the ongoing store closures “long overdue as department stores have been losing market share to e-commerce and other retailers for at least 15 years.”

He forecasts that Macy’s sales and profits will stay “well below historical highs for the foreseeable future,” with slightly negative annual revenue growth.