Federated Department Stores (FD), the company that owns Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, has recently announced that they are planning to invest $100 million more in online business. This includes opening up two distribution centers in Arizona and Tennessee in the near future.
Now I’ve expressed my views on Macy’s a number of times, including the post about how Macy's needs more employees and not a new dress code and how the company’s sales declined last year after taking over the May/Robinson’s-May stores.
Although I’m all for Macy’s expanding their online business, I wonder if the company really should think about investing in their people. Maybe it’s because I’ve been a little spoiled from working and shopping at Nordstrom, but don’t their corporate executives know that putting more people on the floor helping their customers could actually increase their sales?
Even in a store like Bloomingdale’s where someone could easily spend $200-$500 on one item - shouldn’t there be an employee around to help out the customer? I spent an hour in Bloomingdale’s one day and the only person who acknowledged me was the shoe salesperson who said Hi when I was on my way out the door to shop at Nordstrom instead!
For other views on Macy's, check out these discussions for Federated Department Stores at Google Finance.
Source: BrandWeek
As a Macy's employee, I know exactly where you're coming from. Every day, there is another associate position eliminated. Meanwhile, we are expected to do more and more work that doesn't have a lot to do with serving our customers.
We are constantly harassed, intimidated, berated, flagellated, and generally abused.
It seems to me Macy's is more interested in style, without a lot of substance.
I'm a legacy of the May Department Stores buyout. I am not at all impressed with Macy's business model. Ultimately, through its belittlement of its employees, they are hurting you, the customer.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 16, 2007 2:28 PM | Permalink to Comment