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We reported on Wednesday sales have been sinking at the flagship State Street store--nostalgic epicenter for Field’s lovers. Meanwhile, Field’s Fans continue to protest. A group of concerned Field's Fans showed up on Saturday to “protest against Macy's business practices here in the Chicago area.” They have scheduled special “leaflet” events on the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving, as well as another rally “Under the Great Clock” at noon on Saturday, December 2. Wednesday’s Trib article might have fueled Field’s Fans’ enthusiasm as they claim success on their site.
But there’s another aspect of the story: Macy’s is moving on. Executives said they had spent so much energy trying to woo Field’s shoppers, they were not focused on making the store what everyone wants.
Now we get to see how that plays out. Macy’s is talking to several companies about opening a 20,000 square-foot grocery store, and a deal could be closed as soon as early next year, bringing a much-needed grocer to the growing downtown residential population. Saturday, Macy’s also unveiled a number of new holiday initiatives that might be an indication of their future direction: a wine bar in the Walnut Room, new holiday window displays celebrating a local tradition of the Joffrey Ballet’s “Nutcracker,” and Martha Stewart was on hand with Mayor Daley to light the holiday tree, which features ornaments she designed. They’ve also recently added college nights with denim fitting clinics (someone will actually help us figure out the difference between traditional and relaxed cuts?), free wi-fi, and a “shoe diva.”
Could it be Macy’s has heard the protesters and is changing their business practices? Could it be Macy’s is attempting to win the affections of new, young, urban shoppers by offering actual services and products they want? Seems to us it’s beginning to look a lot like Field’s.
Photo by Springsun.
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Macy's is doomed. Nobody I know shops there (and they all shopped at Marshall Field's). The merchandise is cheap and ordinary, and it's impossible to find a sales assistant when you need one. It's like Wal-Mart, except more expensive. And their faux celebrity orientation is annoying. Do they really think that young Chicagoans all aspire to be Jessica Simpson clones?
I'm not against their putting a grocery store in the building. Downtown needs a grocery store. But it won't cause me to spend my money at Macy's. And it will probably just attract more fruit flies like the ones that caused the Health Department to close down Macy's State Street restaurants last summer.
All in all, I think they would do better to sell out to some company that could bring back Marshall Field's and its way of doing business. If they do, my sister and I have agreed that we will book a room in the Burnham Hotel for the weekend and spend $10,000 at Field's. (Most of that money will probably be hers, since she's a bit more well-heeled than I am.)
BTW if you've ever been to the Macy's in NYC, you know that it smells horrible. There's too much junk food for sale there. It would never go over in Chicago. It made me sick to my stomach.
Macy's will never succeed in Chicago or the Midwest. They lost their customer base and anyone who knows business know that it take a lot more effort/dollars to build a new customer base than to please an existing one.
Macy's is the biggest failure in the Midwest. Period. End of story.
The New Yorkers have been taking over Chicago, right under our noses. Mayor Daley is the one who is allowing this to happen. We as citizens of this "FAIR" City have no say-so. It's like he's giving the City away to the "New Yorkers".
There is a grass roots organization, that is standing up and saying ..we are not going take it anymore ! We are Fighting Back with Our Wallets. Macy's has "Richie" in their back pockets.
Let's look at the Olympic's Deal. Richie Daley & Terry Lungren(CEO od Macy's) worked out a deal over dinner one evening. Macy's will sponsor the Olympics (that's if Chicago Wins) But wait a minute ..Richie Daley won't be Mayor of Chicago then, so isn't he pre-spending taxpayers money on something that's really not a "Sure Thing"?
Chicagoans, its about time we stand up for Civic Pride.
Before the take-over , Macy's lied to Chicagoans when they said that everything will remain the same. Now we have another New Yorker,Martha Stewart, who is a Felon, and who lied to the Government, lighting up Chicago's MARSHALL FIELDS Christmas Tree. Couldn't thay find somebody from Chicago to light the Tree? That tells me Chicagans are NOT important to Macy's!
Now, lets set the record straight !
IT'S NOT MACY'S TREE !
It's NOT Macy's 100th Anniversary Tree Lighting, it would have been Marshall Field's celebration ! So I say, go back to New York, cause Marshall Field's you not !
I remember hearing a marketing professor once say that a retailer that tries to get a "new base" is like a country that throws out all its citizens and tries to replace them with newcomers. It never works. The idea is to expand your base, not entirely change it.
I think the grocery store is a great idea. I'm not a huge fan of Macy's, but that is what we have now, and if they can get their act together (I'm not holding my breath) then that is better than the store standing empty.
Personally, I think the histrionics of the some of the anti-Macy's sorts borders on paranoia. I ate lunch in the Walnut room with my grandmother in the 1980's too, and my mom worked there in the 60's, so yes, I had fond memories of the place, but it was ultimately a retail establishment that was bought out, but some people reacting to the demise of Fields like someone killed and ate a baby in the middle of State street. C'mon folks, lets get a bit of perspective. I was disgusted by the buyout too, but really, protests?
sounds great. we have needed a fresh grocer downtown for years. i don't care if it's macy's or not.
toronto, philly, and london have places like these and we should too.
"....but really, protest?...."
Yes, really. Protests. And the boycott. We are killing Macy's on State. And having fun doing it, thank you.
"I ate lunch in the Walnut room with my grandmother in the 1980's too, and my mom worked there in the 60's, so yes, I had fond memories of the place, but it was ultimately a retail establishment that was bought out, but some people reacting to the demise of Fields like someone killed and ate a baby in the middle of State street."
Not to mention that the Walnut Room still exists, which is certainly not the impression you would get from hearing these bizarre protests against Macy's
So they're trying to turn it into Harrod's. Meh, I still won't shop there.
Macy's will never replace Marshall Field's, no matter what they do. Marshall Field's was and IS a part of Chicago's cultural identity! Macy's came in and scooped up the name and took over the building, along with many other beloved stores across America, and decided we should all have one store - Macy's. Well, the public is simply not buying it. For over a year now, a successful boycott has resulted in poor sales and a sharp decline in profits for Macy's. Month after month, sales have been appreciably down, and month after month, the Macy's execs blame it on things like the weather. Meanwhile, Nordstrom, Saks, Carson Pirie Scott are all doing better business since the Macy's takeover of Field's.
Of course it is much more than the name change. Macy's is a vastly inferior store. They let off hundreds of maintenance workers, so that the beautiful Daniel Burnham building Marshall Field had built is now looking kind of shabby. A door handle has been missing on the Randolph Street side for months! And we all know about the Board of Health being brought in and the food court being closed down because of a fruit fly infestation. As for inventory, it's rather sparse, with lots of empty space, and many of our favorite designers pulled out the moment the name changed from Marshall Field's to Macy's. I work across from the store, and I walk through it daily, but I will never, ever, shop there again. Sometimes I see something I like, and I jot down the name and model, and find it online. I did this recently with a B. Makowsky purse (and by the way, saved $50!). Macy's has less merchandise, and what they do have is overpriced. And it's not just a matter of New York vs. Chicago. My friends in New York, who used to love Macy's, now hate the store, because of what Terry Lundgren and Federated did to it. R.H. Macy, they say, is rolling over in his grave. Well, here in Chicago, we are fighting back. And it doesn't matter what they do, we will never shop there. Most of their ideas are so lame anyway (really! a wine bar in the Walnut Room? What are they thinking?) They say they no longer need us Field's Fans, but that is pure stupidity. They say they are "refocusing their energies." Maybe that's what the British said when they returned to England after the Revolutionary War. "We didn't lose the war, we're just re-focusing our energies." It's only a matter of time, folks. KEEP BOYCOTTING, Chicago, and come to our rally, under the Field's clock at State and Washington, Sunday, December 2nd! TOGETHER WE CAN BRING BACK FIELD'S.
LOL @ people that place value and worth on the name of a department store that was never cool to begin with. When Tommy, CK, and Kenneth Cole are your mainstays - you're in trouble.
Marshall Field's and now Macy's are garbage. They sell crap that you can easily get at Marshall's. The entire store is as worthless as Lord & Taylor's...where they believe Polo is still cool.
TonyB, thanks for participating in the boycott of Macy's!
I've bought more crap presents there during the rock bottom sales than I ever did when it was MF. There are approx 38294 other things that have true priority in my life...boycotting the NAME of a garbage department store is the least of my worries.
I shopped there last week--I was in the area and need a couple of dress shirts ASAP. I bought two for a good price, and have no guilt. I have no specific attraction to any retail brand, and I question the sanity and wisdom of people who fight this fight as though Macys vs MF really means shit in today's Chicago, where transit is crumbling, most public schools are still shit, and a distressing number of people in their 30s are moving out after having kids--see the editorial in the Trib about the city's global prospects.
Two more points:
1) I found the Macys staff polite and quick to help;
2) I would love more New York know-how to come to Chicago--the transit there, while it has problems, is not collapsing, and New York is actually growing in population, unlike stagnant and/or declining Chicago/Cook County.
Fight on, you brave and bold MF fans--your protest means oh sooo much in light of Chicago's actual problems. You are bunch of little Neros fiddling while larger problems overtake this city. But, I guess it makes you feel better about yourselves, right?
By the way, how many of you MF activists attended recent transit rallies, or anti-gang rallies?
Yeah, thought so.
This whole MF thing could serve as a satire of absurd consumerism and misplaced priorities and the overwhelming power of nostalgia were the thing not so sadly true.
But at least you will get MF back, right? (on second thought, maybe not)
I look forwad to shopping at Macys again just to piss off a few more MF morons (and I know a few of you MF people are pissed off whenever a Chicagoan spends money at Macys--let's not lie)
You would all be better to organize and protest against the proposed City/County Tax hikes and for that matter City Hall corruption.
Macy's will just close down the State Street Store by 2009 if they don't see improvements.
I might add that if you really care so much buy stock in Macy's so you can have a real say in the company. Ticker symbol is M. It's somewhere around 28.49 a share.
Protesting for something you believe in should not be discounted. This is about the pivotal role the establishment Marshall Field's & Co had in Chicago commerce. It attracted tourist, it brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue for the city (through taxes), it help differentiate Chicago vs. other cities like New York, SF, or Boston. It contributed to charitable organizations... the list goes on and on.
This is more than just a name - this was a part of the civic/commercial life of this city. The #3 tourist attraction should not be discounted!
Jason, so you're saying that when Macy's owned Fields but kept the name the same - they donated to charitable causes, but now that the name is different - they don't?
Also - why the love affair with a hilariously out of touch department store? Their unwillingness to get good NEW merch is what led to them being sold in the first place LONG ago. Nobody under 35 with even an ounce of a fashion sense is going to MF or Macy's because they both suck ass in that regard.
Matilda - Since you seem to have mind-reading powers ("Yeah, thought so"), guess what I'm thinking now.
Nope, wrong.
Now we have another New Yorker,Martha Stewart, who is a Felon, and who lied to the Government
Sounds like good experience for Chicago politics.
If you care so much about how MF contributed to Chicago. What about Sears? What about Montgomery Wards?
What about Brach's Candy leaving the City.
And Jay's Snacks is about ready to leave.
You have a lot of protesting to do.
Jay's isn't leaving town, it's imploding. Done, finished! They had the best BBQ chips EVER!
As for Daley selling out Chicago to New York, not true. It's called a free market. New York has money, they buy what they think is a good deal. What's Daley going to do, tell them they have to leave if they don't change the name back?
I'm all for Field's, and I will not shop at Macy's. But if they leave, it's going to take a little bit of time for someone to come in and set up shop, don't you think? Is that what you want? Look at the debacle that is Carson Pirie Scott. It will be three years before those grand plans ever come to fruition, and Field's is just a little bit larger, donchathink?
"Jason, so you're saying that when Macy's owned Fields but kept the name the same - they donated to charitable causes, but now that the name is different - they don't?"
Macy's did stop contributing to local causes as soon as they "re-branded" Marshall Field's. The Field's Jingle Elf Parade on State Street was sponsored by Marshall Field's every year. Not it is sponsored by McDonald's. It is a small thing, but noticeable nonetheless.
Also, I wouldn't say Marshall Field's was hilariously out of touch. That's just doesn't hold water. Why would 9million people visit the MF State Street store each year? Why did sale continue to improve in 2004, 2005, 2006?
How do you know Macy's didn't want to sponsor Jingle Elf Parade on State Street? Do you have proof they didn't want to? Do you have it in writing they said no?
It might be that there was a contract that stated if Marshall Field's was sold then the parade organizers could look for differnt sponsorship and get a hight dollars.
Hey, here's a new one for you nut jobs you should demand Bank of America keeps the name LaSalle. How about you demonstate for that cause.
I agree the LaSalle acquisition by BofA is going to cost Chicago hundreds of jobs. LaSalle similar to Field's contributed to civic causes (like the Marathon that it funded for 30years!).
"crookcounty" why don't YOU help build the city of Chicago and contribute to any one of these causes instead of taking stabs at people who do?
Fields is not a cause there is nothing to protest about. It's a free market economy Fields was bought and sold many times and the last people that acquired it decided to change the name and have one brand for all their stores nationwide to compete with WalMarts, Targets etc. It consolidates costs and advertising expendutures. Makes sense then they can pass the lower prices on to the consumer and compete with with other national retailers.
No matter how much you think you are contributing and you can change things you can't with Fields or LaSalle. There wasn't an election where you could vote.
Unless you owned stock in the companies or was/is/are an employee it's really known of your damn business.
I am sorry that visting Fields was the only highlight of your horrible childhood.
Well crook county,
If you want to get all 'free market' on us I'll have to point out to you that customers complaining about the changes (to whatever degree) are just part of that 'invisible hand' that free marketers love to cite so much. So you can't really complain about that either. Make fun of them if you want but it seems like Macy's woes are due to them not responding to local customer's needs. Free market baby!
In advance of any childish attacks: I'm not a protestor or really sweating any of this.
"Do they really think that young Chicagoans all aspire to be Jessica Simpson clones?"
"If they do,my sister and I have agreed that we will book a room in the Burnham Hotel for the weekend and spend $10,000 at Field's. (Most of that money will probably be hers, since she's a bit more well-heeled than I am."
Does any one else thinks this/the above sounds like a Jessica Simpson clone?
crookcounty--
Free markets allow for people to choose where they spend their money and to talk about it as much as they want. I (and many others) choose not to spend a dime at Macy's and I will tell everyone I know. What's it to you? Why are you getting so worked up over it?
Ah, yes, the free market will determine what happens. Exactly!
And the free market is destroying Macy's North because of the gargantuan mistake by Macy's executives. The boycott against Macy's is the free market speaking loudly and clearly.
And that is the way you should handle a business you aren't happy with that won't listen the customers.
Don't shop there.
The anti Macy's peoples points have been made but at this point it's way over the top and actually by protesting will have an opposite effect.
No such thing as bad publicity.
I like how the protest has now become a "Movement"
P.S
I’m glade the Fields Movement is leading by example by showing the next generation what’s important in life.
This is especially important when there are so many negative influences out there, like the 25 Morton West High School students in Berwyn who were suspended over an anti-war protest sit in, - some who face expulsion.
No wonder why Berwyn has such a bad reputation! These kids need to get their priorities straight by joining a real Movement, the Fields Movement!
And I’m glade Chicagoist choose not to cover those bad kids least other kids imitate them.
Please keep the great pro coverage of the Field’s Movement which has nothing to do with consumption and materialism and every thing to do with American Values of family and God.
Oh and hey Jenna are you or your "bit more well heeled" sister single? I may not be well heeled, but I’ve been called a heel!
maybe I could show up at the Burnham Hotel with a six pack of Pbr's to help celebrate?
Just got back from spending a few hundred dollars at Nordstrom's.
It's a great store and more than Field's ever was before it became Macy's.
Instead of protesting Macy's spend some money at Nordstrom's.
I shop at Nordstrom, too. It's a great store that started in Seattle, and I was impressed with it when I visited there. I was glad it came to Chicago. And when it did, Marshall Field's ran an ad welcoming them. The Nordstrom people were smart; they didn't take over an existing, beloved local icon; they ADDED to our city. Macy's, on the other hand, came in like a cultural bulldozer and scooped up 150 years of history and tradition, adding nothing to our city and taking away plenty. That is why I will never shop at Macy's. So now I'm doing a lot more shopping at Nordstrom. That is, until Field's comes back. (By the way, I used to shop at Macy's in New York, but since Federated took it over, it's gone way, way downhill.)