• The Miami Herald, Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:01 PM

2006 is shaping up as the year for the department store. Their hot streak began last spring and sales to date have risen 4.4% from the same period last year, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. A more appealing mix of merchandise and stores that are easier to shop have fueled the turnaround.

The most obvious changes have been at Macy's, which has a renewed emphasis on fashion. "Two years ago, you would have come in here and the message was all about price," says retail analyst Cynthia Cohen. "Now, the message is about fashion and brands, at a price." Macy's parent company, Federated Department Stores, posted a November same-store sales gain of 8.5%.

JCPenney, meanwhile, has tried to make itself a destination for affordable fashion by bringing in new brand names. Its same-store sales for November were up only 1.4%, but Cohen says that's because the company's improvements have been building for several years.

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