urbanSTL

I'd love to see it take some floors back, sell more electronics, appliances, furniture, decore, etc.

Matt wrote:Wanna win back customers from discounters? They've gotta get rid of those old NCR cash registers and implement cutting-edge payment systems. I paid with a debit card and they wrote up the sale by hand and used an old credit plate machine to imprint the card!



Also, their web presence should be more than window dressing.



The DT store should put in a "sundries" shop so that I can buy some Kleenex and vitamin C this winter.

I don't think "cutting edge" payment systems are necessary. (What would they be, anyway? Retinal scan? Implanted radio frequency chips?) But replacing the terminals would be helpful -- for appearance AND for operator use. I worked for Famous in college in the mid 90s. They just started putting the mid-1980s era NCR terminals in the suburban stores then. Believe it or not, though -- the server was high tech. You could do a lot of things on those terminals. You had to key it all on a 10-digit pad, but it could be done.

DeBaliviere wrote:I think that there is a definite buzz now about the downtown store. I walked through today, and it looks great. It was also quite a bit more crowded than usual, which is great to see. I think that with the coming transformation of St. Louis Centre, Macy's is going to be the heart of the downtown retail scene once again.

There's certainly a buzz. I overheard people raving about the store's new look on Friday and Saturday. After shopping downtown, we went to see my mother-in-law who works at the South County Center Macy's. I overheard people discussing the downtown store there, and I also mentioned it to a few people. (I figure it's my job as a city resident to build the place up and entice more people into going there!) There's been extensive coverage of the changes at the downtown store, so I think it's really being noticed now for the first time in years.

As far as people going out of their way to shop there, I think it can be successful without people going out of their way to go there. Before the Macy's transition, the only people who the store really appealed to were geeks like us who like shopping there just because it's downtown. Its captive audience, the 80,000+ people who work downtown every day, tourists and conventioneers, and the thousands of new downtown residents found little to like about it. By upgrading the store to put it on par with the other Macy's stores, the people who spend their days downtown will utilize it for its convenience.

Geeks like us supported the downtown Famous in its darkest days, didn't we?



For me, the store isn't at all out of the way, it's the same distance as South County and closer than the Galleria or Crestwood. I've always preferred shopping at the downtown store, even when there was no compelling reason beyond nostalgia. Paying to park doesn't bother me since I usually stop by City Grocers and/or somewhere else in the area for a bite to eat or something to drink. For everyone else- i,e., anyone that works, lives, visits, or plays downtown- I think the newly renovated store will have much broader appeal than it's had in many years.

I would like to see Macy*s add a boutique that specifically carried clothing from local designers to the downtown store. They just did this at the store on State street in Chicago. Wouldn't it be great for local designers to complete for floor space to show off their original designs? Perhaps they could position it by the currently closed Seventh street door for a store within a store concept.

Enjoyed lunch at my favorite in the store: Papa's today.

Packed with a 15 minute wait.

Main floor looks great. They have exposed and are keeping the original marble floors. The place is so bright and open finally and looks great. What was even better was the shoppers. The shoppers are back and were in full swing at lunch. You can overhear the comments... and while standing in line to check out a pair of socks in the first floors men's underwear dept. I overhead the checker tell the woman in front of me that he has rang more sales today (9/11) than he usually does in a week.





According to him, Macy's is renovating all windows outside. They are in the process ... and the windows that are open and redisgned now are just for the reopening. I am so pleased to see they have opened many of the windows that were closed an I love the signage around the building and windows.



AS for furniture and housewares... the 7th floor is AWESOME! A poster below saif he/she would like to see more added... have you been to floor 7? One window on the southeast corner of he building is dedicated to that floor... it says: Furniture on 7



The check said that Macy's is going to use the windows to promote different floors and let the streets know what is inside (unlike Famous).



So I walked around the building twice and it was so awesome to see people LOOKING into the windows are items and commenting/pointing at things in the windows...



Great day for St. Louis!

matguy- I'm glad to hear that all the attention paid to the downtown store by the local media is translating into increased business so far!

matguy70 wrote:According to him, Macy's is renovating all windows outside. They are in the process ... and the windows that are open and redisgned now are just for the reopening. I am so pleased to see they have opened many of the windows that were closed an I love the signage around the building and windows.

That's the only reason I didn't give them a straight "A" inside or outside- I figured they were still works in progress. Before Friday, I hadn't been in the store for about a week and a half, so I was amazed by how much progress they made in that period. At first I was skeptical about the amount of changes they could make by block party day, but everything looked great Friday. And it's nice to know they're going to get to all the windows and make even more changes inside.



As I said before, Macy's is making all the right moves with this store, and it's so much better than I would have ever expected!

..."making all the right moves."



Macy's is proving that sometimes you need to work smarter, not necessarily harder.

^ Exactly. It's not rocket science, it's just good business.

I finally made it to the Downtown location last Saturday the 9th. Needless to say, I'm happy about the positive changes that have been made to the store and it looks better than it has in years. Is it perfect? No, unfortunately it isn't, but they seem to be on the right track. I got there around 1 PM, and while there were a few people shopping, I was surprised to see how quiet it was. Did anyone get there in the AM? Was it busier?



A few random comments/observations:



The staff is MUCH improved!! Everyone was attentive and friendly. I purchased a sport coat from the main level, which I saw upon arrival. The salesperson happily held my size for me so I didn't have to carry it all over the store.



The main level is a huge improvement, but I was hoping that the columns were stripped of the ugly mirror crap. I realize that they can't do miracles overnight, but hopefully that change will be made.



Thankfully I had stopped to eat lunch in the CWE (we were trying out the new Metrolink line) as there was *nothing* open anywhere near Macy's that I could see. I noticed an older couple quite upset with the fact that they couldn't get lunch or even a snack, and they were upset enough that I don't think they'll be back anytime soon. I realize that the lunch business is there during the week, but hopefully traffic will pick up enough to justify at least Papa Fabares being open.



The merchandise selection wasn't quite what I had hoped to find. Mind you, I'm sure that it was vastly improved over what was there a year ago, but the men's department was for the most part crap. Also, the housewears selection left a bit to be desired. I was surpised to see how small they made a couple of the shopping levels, but hopefully demand will require an expansion soon.



I was very happy to see that Frango chocolates are now available! I'm assuming that this will be a Macy's wide thing? Sure hope so! I'm not normally a chocolate/mint kind of guy, but there's something about those things I love! I noticed that one of the boxes I purchased still said "Marshall Field's" on it.



How long has the "main" entrance been blocked off? That will hopefully be changed. God, do I miss the old stainless steel deco doors!



All in all, a very positive experience that will hopefully improve. I plan to shop there often, if the selection justifies the trip.

Good observations, Jeff!

jeffrk wrote:I got there around 1 PM, and while there were a few people shopping, I was surprised to see how quiet it was. Did anyone get there in the AM? Was it busier?

It was very busy before noon, just as it was on Friday. I was at the South County store between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., and it was no busier than the downtown store was in the morning. And it couldn't have been much more quiet than the Crestwood location later that evening, although that mall has issues of its own best left to another thread. That said, I saw Macy's bags everywhere in all three locations, so I think STL is warming up nicely to Macy's.

The main level is a huge improvement, but I was hoping that the columns were stripped of the ugly mirror crap. I realize that they can't do miracles overnight, but hopefully that change will be made.

I wish they'd do away with the mirrored columns...hopefully they will eventually.

Thankfully I had stopped to eat lunch in the CWE (we were trying out the new Metrolink line) as there was *nothing* open anywhere near Macy's that I could see. I noticed an older couple quite upset with the fact that they couldn't get lunch or even a snack, and they were upset enough that I don't think they'll be back anytime soon. I realize that the lunch business is there during the week, but hopefully traffic will pick up enough to justify at least Papa Fabares being open.

This is definitely a problem- especially given the dearth of alternatives for lunch on a Saturday in downtown. I wish they'd at least open Papa Fabarre's for lunch on Saturdays...and on Sunday Rams/Cardinals gamedays.

The merchandise selection wasn't quite what I had hoped to find. Mind you, I'm sure that it was vastly improved over what was there a year ago, but the men's department was for the most part crap. Also, the housewears selection left a bit to be desired. I was surpised to see how small they made a couple of the shopping levels, but hopefully demand will require an expansion soon.

Macy's is treating the store like a local flagship in many ways, but they need to go the distance by offering all the lines that the Galleria and West County stores (former F-B flagships) have. Given the growing number of affluent downtown residents, and nearly 90K workers downtown, I think there would be sufficient demand for more designer labels and higher-end merchandise in general.



And I think the 2nd floor (men's clothing and shoes) is getting an overhaul eventually, just as other floors have.

I was very happy to see that Frango chocolates are now available! I'm assuming that this will be a Macy's wide thing? Sure hope so! I'm not normally a chocolate/mint kind of guy, but there's something about those things I love! I noticed that one of the boxes I purchased still said "Marshall Field's" on it.

Yes, it is a Macy's-wide offering, and to the chagrin of Chicago-area residents, Marshall Field's name is being phased out on the Frango boxes.



(Memo to proud Chicagoans: Marshall Field's started selling Frango's AFTER the now-defunct Frederick & Nelson of Seattle.)

How long has the "main" entrance been blocked off? That will hopefully be changed. God, do I miss the old stainless steel deco doors!

A few years ago the revolving doors were removed from the Sixth and Seventh entrances, and the Seventh Street entrance was closed. I assume this was for security purposes, as I never got a satisfactory answer when I asked about it at the time. I miss those revolving doors, and even as an adult, I never stopped playing around in them. (What can I say, it was an easy way to embarrass my wife.)



Unlike the execs at May Company, who barely kept the store open and operated it as an embarrassing and decaying loss leader, I think Federated is ready and willing to listen to customer's suggestions based on what I've seen so far. I plan to write to them when I get the opportunity, to offer some suggestions including those that have been discussed here. I think the store can be successful long-term, but I also think some changes can and will be made to ensure its success.

In with the new: Macy's makes its St. Louis debut

Erin Taylor

Of the Suburban Journals

Citizen Journal,Mid-County Journal,West County Journal

09/13/2006



The last traces of the Famous-Barr name officially disappeared Sept. 9 with official ribbon-cuttings and launch parties for Macy's across St. Louis.



This month marked the conversion of all stores acquired from the May Co. The move signals a national branding of the Macy's name.



Macy's Midwest, a new division of Federated Department Stores Inc., is based in St. Louis and operates 93 stores, stretching from Kansas City to western New York.



Macy's Midwest is one of seven regionally based retail divisions, including Macy's East, Macy's Florida, Macy's Northwest, Macy's North, Macy's South and Macy's West.



Six of the 16 Macy's stores in Missouri are in the St. Louis area, including Crestwood, St. Louis Centre, South County, the St. Louis Galleria, West County and Mid Rivers Mall.



Hundreds of people crowded into a one-block corridor at Olive and 7th streets during their lunch hour Friday, Sept. 8, for the downtown store's grand opening at St. Louis Centre.



The St. Louis Cardinals' Fredbird and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Weatherbird mingled through the crowd as the group Dr. Zhivegas played in front of the newly opened Macy's downtown. Inside the department store, shoppers got their first look at a bright spot in the revitalization of downtown.



Red-carpet celebrations took place at all of the local Macy's stores Saturday, Sept. 9, including those at the St. Louis Galleria in Richmond Heights and Westfield West County in Des Peres.



Around 300 people had gathered to watch Richmond Heights Mayor Betty Humphrey and William McNamara, chairman of Macy's Midwest, lead the ribbon-cutting and final unveiling of the Macy's sign.



Members of the Brentwood High School marching band and Aloha Mischeaux, a finalist from the fourth season of "American Idol," also were on hand to entertain shoppers eager to receive a $10 gift card given away to the first 500 customers that morning.



"On behalf of the city, we are proud to welcome Macy's to the Galleria," Humphrey said. "I'm sure shoppers are eager for the Macy's experience with its distinctive New York flavor."



Helen Weiss of Macy's said the events for the grand unveiling appear to have generated excitement that likely will translate into a boost for the St. Louis economy.



"It's very good for the St. Louis economy," Weiss said. "People are excited about the store and the changes."



One of the biggest changes, Weiss said, is the arrival of brands such as Charter Club and Alfani, exclusive to Macy's.



Regina Hall of south St. Louis was one of the first to browse the new store during its first hours of business. She said she normally shops at the Galleria and was eager to see the lines of clothing Macy's carries.



"I just wanted to see what it looked like," Hall said. "I'm most interested in the new lines of clothing, like the Style & Co."



In addition to the special festivities held during the Macy's launch last weekend, the store will have a Macy's balloon in this year's Great Forest Park Balloon Race, Saturday, Sept. 16.



Also, the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade On Parade Tour" will stop at the St. Louis Galleria from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19.



The parade caravan will include a 1,000-square-foot, interactive exhibit inside a 53-foot trailer, as well as presentations of "The Macy's Ballooniversity Musical Review: So You Want to be a Balloon." St. Louis is one of 23 cities in 19 states on the tour.



"People are very enthusiastic to welcome Macy's," Weiss said. "The feedback has been wonderful. People like the look of the store, they like the merchandise. We're thrilled with the way things are going."



With the revitalization of St. Louis shopping also comes reminiscing for the now-gone Famous-Barr name. D.J. Fone grew up near the Walnut Park area of St. Louis and remembers his parents taking him to the Christmas displays at the downtown Famous-Barr, including the model trains setup.



"That was the window that always captured the fathers' and sons' attention," he said.



Fone, who now lives in San Diego, said he has numerous memories tied to the Famous-Barr name, such as walking around with friends, "spending hours riding the elevators to new and exciting shopping, but rarely buying because we were only 13 to 16."



As he got older, Fone said, the downtown Famous became more of a "cultural touchstone," with its terra-cotta facings and architectural features.



Not all reminders of Fone's Famous days are gone, however. Although the signs have changed to Macy's, Weiss said the company has no plans to change the Famous-Barr nameplates on the corners of the downtown building.



You can contact Erin Taylor at etaylor@yourjournal.com.

Looks like they've started carrying some Ralph Lauren items - I noticed Ralph Lauren "Sleepwear" on the first floor in the men's department. It would be nice if they would at least carry RL dress shirts.

The selections at the downtown store are poor compared to the other stores. Very disappointing.

Downtown2007 wrote:The selections at the downtown store are poor compared to the other stores. Very disappointing.

I could be wrong, but I get the impression that the merchandise mix at downtown is still a work in progress. I haven't been in a couple of weeks, but I know renovation work is ongoing, and I have heard that more changes are coming to the second floor where most men's merchandise is located. In addition to carrying more name brands, I think Macy's would do well to offer its I-N-C private label merchandise here as they do at their West County and Galleria stores.



I would think as downtown's critical mass continues to build, there will be more demand for a wider variety of merchandise...

Downtown2007 wrote:The selections at the downtown store are poor compared to the other stores. Very disappointing.

Yeah, unfortunately the Cardinals gear takes up a good chunk of their floorspace.

My wife and I talked with a salesperson at the South County store today, and the downtown store came up in our conversation (I bought an outfit for my wife's birthday downtown last week, and although she loved it, the size was wrong and out of stock there).



He was excited about the renovation, and said more beautification (inside and out) is in the works. He also explained that more Macy's private label brands, including I-N-C, will be available in the downtown store soon, along with several additional brand names. I didn't get a chance to go into specifics, even though I desperately wanted to, but hopefully we'll be pleased with the additional changes that will be made in the coming months. Now might be the time to email, write, or call store management with suggestions, though. I'm working on a letter in my spare time, and if I stop spending said spare time here so much, it might actually be finished and in the hands of someone at Macy's Midwest.

ThreeOneFour wrote:My wife and I talked with a salesperson at the South County store today, and the downtown store came up in our conversation (I bought an outfit for my wife's birthday downtown last week, and although she loved it, the size was wrong and out of stock there).



He was excited about the renovation, and said more beautification (inside and out) is in the works. He also explained that more Macy's private label brands, including I-N-C, will be available in the downtown store soon, along with several additional brand names. I didn't get a chance to go into specifics, even though I desperately wanted to, but hopefully we'll be pleased with the additional changes that will be made in the coming months. Now might be the time to email, write, or call store management with suggestions, though. I'm working on a letter in my spare time, and if I stop spending said spare time here so much, it might actually be finished and in the hands of someone at Macy's Midwest.

While we're at it; the South County Macy's needs a remodel or reconstruction ASAP.

(Edited to remove off-topic comments per moderator's suggestion below.)



Gosh, dweebe, I didn't think I was that far off-topic by responding to your comments! Oh well.

Let's keep this thread focused on Macy's Downtown. Not Macy's overall.

No one should excuse the crime. However everyone, including they, knows that downtown is in transition. Hope they increase security and get the guys next time.

phobia wrote:This week the display window at 6th and Olive was broken and a couch was stolen. A wonderful "thank you" to Federated for investing in Downtown.



The matching pieces were left behind. Thieves without style.

I hope the "get" them too and lock them up for 30 years.

Or they could just board the windows back up.



No, of course I'm not for that. Federated will reglaze the window and put merchandise back in -- but if this happens 2 or 3 more times, guess what? They'll black out the windows just the same way May did.



I'm sick and tired of people taking things that aren't theirs and which they didn't earn, and as a result the consequences make all of our lives a little more grim. And what exactly do these thieves and vandals think they are accomplishing? It's not as if you need a couch, or new clothes, or whatever. The only explanation is they pawn it for drug money. What will they be doing with their lives in 10 or 20 years?



Sorry but my car was stolen this weekend from in front of my house (which I just moved into 3 weeks ago), and my patience is a little thin.

innov8ion wrote:No one should excuse the crime. However everyone, including they, knows that downtown is in transition. Hope they increase security and get the guys next time.

phobia wrote:This week the display window at 6th and Olive was broken and a couch was stolen. A wonderful "thank you" to Federated for investing in Downtown.



The matching pieces were left behind. Thieves without style.

Tysalpha wrote:Sorry but my car was stolen this weekend from in front of my house (which I just moved into 3 weeks ago), and my patience is a little thin.

Hey, I don't blame you. First of all, sorry to hear about your car. I haven't had anything major happen to me, but my license plates have been stolen twice in the last six months, and that's enough aggravation for me. And I'm not exactly thrilled that the efforts to establish Neighborhood Watch in my area have stalled. So my patience for this stuff is wearing thin too.



I'm disappointed but not surprised to hear about the theft at Macy's. I really hope Federated steps up security there, because after workers leave downtown and Macy's closes (most nights at 6 p.m.), this section of downtown is absolutely DEAD.



Once people move into buildings in the next 1-2 blocks (Marquette, The Alexa, and eventually the Stix Building and 600 Washington), that should bring more life to the area. I believe there really is safety in numbers, but until that day comes, I hope Federated will choose stepping up security instead of scaling back their window displays.