Macy's So Over Holiday Buzz

By Alicia Dorr in News on Feb 22, 2006 5:10PM

In a last move of a will they/won't they worthy of your favorite TV drama, Federated Department Stores, Inc. has finally made it clear they are cutting ties with the Marshall Field's name.

Last September when Federated announced that all Marshall Field's would be Macy's by fall 2006 people were up in arms, with save Field's campaigns and the like. The most powerful protest was the almighty dollar, which Chicagoans and various Field's loyalists used to communicate their dissatisfaction with New York's Macy's usurping the 153-year-old Chicago namesake—upping holiday sales by 3 percent. When the dust settled, Federated tentatively reconsidered their decision about renaming the State Street store.

But it looks like Federated slept the holiday spirit off, announcing that the Marshall Field's name is still set to be replaced by fall 2006—September 9-10, to be precise.

Federated CEO Terry Lundgren suggested that, with the company's new marketing team, Macy's will not only be the name of a department store, but a cultural icon. Whether or not this is possible, Macy's is coming to town—and many other towns. But, hey, don't throw your tomatoes at us, we're just the messengers.