Kiss My Frango Mints, Macy's!

By Tim State in News on Sep 9, 2007 11:47PM

While the evil empire from New York City (Macy’s) served complimentary slices of Frango Mint Ice Cream pie to the some twenty guests dining in the seventh floor Walnut Room, about 100 hard-core Marshall Field’s fans staged a protest underneath the the historic clock on State Street below. Today marks the one-year anniversary of Macy’s changing the name of Field’s after after gobbling up May Department Stores, which Field's had been a part of.

Organized by Field’s Fans Chicago, the group paraded around wearing green, carrying Marshall Field’s shopping bags, and behaving “in the most Marshall Field-like fashion.” Field’s Fans Chicago has organized other protests and has encouraged boycotts of the store, hoping to send a message to Macy’s that executives should bring back Field’s hallmark brand name known for its service, style, and local pride. Organizers are claiming success, indicating that profits have been down 77 percent in the last quarter, while Macy’s competitor’s sales have increased.

“Macy’s big holiday push is Martha Stewart, and you can find that at K-Mart,” said one protester, who underscores the protest is not just about a name change, but the decline in merchandise quality, the loss of warehouse jobs in the area, and the loss of a local landmark that was a tourist draw.

One protester held a sign reading, “You can’t turn an emerald into a zircon.”

A group of women in 1890s dress held signs that read, “Give the lady what she wants.”

One gentleman held a sign, “Oprah doesn’t shop here anymore.” So you know the situation is bad.

Our favorite part of the protest, though was when Carol Gordon led the crowd through singing a song she wrote, “I’ll Miss Field’s,” sung to the tune of “I’ll be home for Christmas.” Lyrics poke fun at the Macy’s red star logo, saying it’s “a commie plot,” and “Macy’s take some hints, go back to Manhattan, and kiss my Frango mints.”