We used to have a Marshall Field's back in the day. I just remember it from when I was a little ztawinthropgirl. The Macy's here is trashy. It used to be Rich's, then Rich's-Macy's, and now it's just Macy's. When it was Rich's and Rich's-Macy's, it was really nice. Very classy. Now that it's just Macy's, it's trashy. I don't go in there anymore. I shop at Belk's and Dillard's. In total, the Haywood Mall has Belk, Dillard's, JC Penney, Macy's, and Sears. I wish they'd bring a Nieman-Marcus and a Nordstrom's to Greenville Mall to bring in more clientele to that mall. It's much nicer than Haywood Mall and easier to get into. I think I'll just be a Grinch this Christmas because I am getting so put out and ornary about shopping due to the blahness of the department stores and materialism.

I don't shop at Macy's, because I used to work there and I just don't agree with their philosophy on certain things. The main reason all the stores' name changed to Macy's was supposedly that "Macy's" had a more upscale connotation, but I'm like a lot of you all--I think it's gone the other way.

Update -- More Retailing Acquisitions

Bon-Ton Stores has bought a string of regional department stores: Younkers, Boston Store, Bergner’s, Herberger’s, and Carson Pirie Scott. (Bon-Ton already owns the Bon-Ton and Elder-Beerman stores.) Articles:

http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/5699064.html


http://www.startribune.com/stories/1608/5701213.html

I don't know anything about what Bon-Ton and Elder-Beerman stores are like. Surely some GreekChatters can fill us in on them. At least everything won't be a Macy's, though, and that may be some relief.

Bon Ton is OK - I'd say they're a slight step below May Co & Macy's. I'd rather have a Boscov's, personally, as they still have a music department and a candy counter.

At least in this merger, they're not changing the names of the stores.

Federated to sell Lord & Taylor

January 13, 2006

BY SANDRA GUY Business Reporter

Lord & Taylor is up for sale, and its stores may end up as new locations for an expanded Saks Fifth Avenue or another department store, analysts speculated Thursday.

Lord & Taylor's owner, Federated Department Stores, announced Thursday it will sell the 55-store chain so it can focus on its Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. The news ended rumors that had circulated for a year-and-a-half that Federated would dispense with the modernized but floundering Lord & Taylor, which has five Chicago area stores.

The Lord & Taylor chain garnered $1.57 billion in sales in 2004, and analysts immediately speculated that it could sell for $745 million after taxes.

The most likely buyers would be private-equity companies flush with cash. Private-equity companies have recently gobbled up Neiman Marcus Group and Toys R Us in separate deals.

Deborah Weinswig of Citigroup Smith Barney speculated that a private-equity buyer could buy Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, and rename all of the stores Saks Fifth Avenue.

Another analyst who asked not to be named said a smarter pairing would be Lord & Taylor with the upscale Parisian chain of 40 department stores in the South. Parisian is being sold by Saks.

Federated bought the New York-based Lord & Taylor chain as part of its stunning $11.9 billion takeover of the May Department Stores, including Marshall Field's and L.S. Ayres. The consolidation of the country's top two department-store chains, announced a year ago, took effect Aug. 30.

May Department Stores had tried to turn around the Lord & Taylor chain by introducing more fashionable merchandise and closing 32 stores that represented 38 percent of Lord & Taylor's store base but only 19 percent of the chain's total sales.

Federated expects to sell Lord & Taylor this year. Federated CEO Terry Lundgren, the man responsible for renaming Marshall Field's as Macy's, said that although Lord & Taylor didn't fit Federated's focus, it has "a great name, many outstanding locations, an experienced management team and a strong customer following."

Local shoppers have lost two Saks Fifth Avenue stores in the last three years, and could see more closings of Lord & Taylor stores.

After Saks announced last May it would close its Saks Fifth Avenue store at Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie, the shopping center proposed tearing down the Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue stores to build an open-air shopping area filled with specialty retailers.

Two years ago, Saks closed its Saks Fifth Avenue store at Oakbrook Center mall in the western suburbs. It was replaced by a Bloomingdale's Home Store

Re: Elder-Beerman. There's a small one in Mattoon, IL which is one town over from Eastern Illinois Univesity where I'm currently in grad. school. It's a nice store, and they seem to have some of the same merchandise CPS does. It's hard to make a direct comparision since the CPS I work at is the third largest in the chain, and this store is about the size of our entire women's department.

We haven't been told much about the takeover. We know that many people in Carsons Credit have lost, or will soon lose, their jobs. I called in for a customer over Christmas, and the credit person point-blank told me she didn't care as her last day would be Jan. 6th.

If any of you are interested, I'll post more about the takeover as soon as I find out more details. Supposedly, we'll hear more after inventory, which is at the end of the month.

I've never been much of a Robinson's-May shopper. But now that they are closing many locations here... holy hell the sale. In the past week I've spent $221 for over $650 with of merchandise.

^^
I'm old enough to remember the good ol' Robinson's of the 1980s. But Robinsons-May was decent for certain things. For instance, I got an apple green sheath dress for $40 that I've worn to all sorts of functions. I need to check things out.

And having been a RHMacyite, who would have thought Macys and Bloomingdales would become one?No Mircle on Christmas anymore.

Next Lord and Taylors is up for Sale!:(

Well, The Beat Goes On!

Why don't they get rid of Marshall Field's instead? That way it can remain Marshall Field's and everyone will be happy.

Although -- is Field's even the same? When I was in Chicago in November, I didn't go shopping, but the Field's ad from the paper was cheesy as hell. I'd guess that the store has gone downhill since Federated bought it -- but I haven't been there for years.

Oh well. I do most of my shopping at Nordstrom because they don't suck.

I actually saw a rather old book in the library I need to check out that was basically about how Macy's has gone in the pooper since Federated bought it.

Macy's out here in CA varies from mall to mall. Some Macy's are great (Bev Center, Sherman Oaks Fashion Square) and some are terrible beyond belief (Santa Monica Mall). Its weird. Its like they have completely different buyers for the same store in the same city.

All the Bloomingdale's out here are nice.

But Nordstroms is the altar I bow at.

As I get the majpr drit, there are certain Names that are going to be kept, and Marshall Fields will be one. But, one has to think of it truelying be the same?

Consolidation is the wave!:confused: Well, I really guess not. Make it or go out of Business.:(


When I was In the Rag Biz. In KC, there was Emery-Bird-Thayer, Wolf Bros. The Jones Store, and some Others, well, the are all gone now.:( The Jones Store is still there but having been taken over, They will now become Macys.

Macys was bought out in The KC Region by Dillards.

The Macy Name was deemed to be the most well known and will be kept.

Marshall Field's is not being kept, it's getting turned into craptastic Macy's.

valkryie, they aren't AS good as they used to be, but they still aren't bad.