• Women’s Wear Daily, Monday, June 2, 2008 9:12 AM

From Bloomingdale's 59th Street to Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's Herald Square in Manhattan, retailers are pumping millions into their core stores to upgrade product presentations, reinvent key departments and capitalize on strong selling categories like accessories and shoes.

Bloomingdale's, for example, has initiated the beginnings of a sweeping renovation of its 75,000-square-foot main floor, the chain's biggest renovation at least since Michael Gould became chairman and CEO 17 years ago. "This is a total branding exercise," says Gould, who is known for his marketing acumen, having recast Bloomingdale's into an upscale, contemporary national brand, at a price niche above Macy's and below Saks and Neiman Marcus.

With the right marketing hook, a renovated floor can cast a halo over the store and sharpen its image. Saks, for example, generated enormous buzz last year with its revamped shoe floor. It was rebranded 10022-SHOE and billed as "so big, it has its own zip code."

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