Marshall Field's vs. Macy's (Chicago, Bloomingdale: appointed, real estate market, houses)

[cobolt]

Fields was a Chicago institution and family tradition. Every Christmas holiday we went downtown to see the holiday windows and visit Santa at Fields. We'd dine in the Walnut Room underneath the big Christmas tree. That was a huge treat and we looked forward to it all year. Everytime I was on the bus or train and saw someone holding the signature green and white shopping bags, I knew they had just been to Fields. Fields was as much a part of my upbringing as Fannie Mays chocolate santas or turtles for Christmas or the buttercreme Easter eggs. The Fields clock is one of the most recognizable images around. It's a shame. Now I"m just getting mad. Screw Macy's.

[aragx6]

It was such an arrogant move by Macy's to change the name of Marshall's (and I'd add some of the other local chains it bought up like Famous Barr in St. Louis and the Jones Store in Kansas City)

They really seemed to think that we'd all be thrilled with their renaming of our stores, and made some real miscalculations in relation to that. they handled the whole thing very poorly, and they're suffering for it.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by hsw

Customers should vote w/their dollars for whatever stores offer best value in a safe, pleasing setting....don't really care what brand of store is...or where's HQ....or City vs suburbs...."capitalist democracy" tends to work best to screen out winning businesses from losers....not blind regional/national patriotism

exactly!

now do you want to know the definition of gross stupidity? take a huge downtown department store (one that could only have been built in another era) and remove all the tradition and experience from it through the ingenious move of name change and chain change. IDIOTS! Why on earth would I or anyone want to go up 9 or 10 floors of Macy's which does not relate to Chicago and has the same junk at all its other stores.

These fools didn't see that Field's on State was part merchandise and also part (very important part) entertainment, a connection with the city and its retail history, loaded with traditions. What geniuses. Squeeze all the pizzaz out of a huge department store and still expect people to put on mileage walking the place.

And while we're at it, Federated (now Macy's Inc) had three magic names in retailing....two from NY (Macy's, Bloomingdale's) and one from Chicago (Field's). And they dump the Chicago one. Now THAT'S respect.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by aragx6

...They really seemed to think that we'd all be thrilled with their renaming of our stores, and made some real miscalculations in relation to that. they handled the whole thing very poorly, and they're suffering for it.

Let them suffer more.

[dontcallmeshirley]

It also took over Foley*s in Houston. I guess I really never thought about it, but it is weird that I will never see a Foley*s again. (astrick intended)

Originally Posted by aragx6

It was such an arrogant move by Macy's to change the name of Marshall's (and I'd add some of the other local chains it bought up like Famous Barr in St. Louis and the Jones Store in Kansas City)

They really seemed to think that we'd all be thrilled with their renaming of our stores, and made some real miscalculations in relation to that. they handled the whole thing very poorly, and they're suffering for it.

[chicagocubs]

Originally Posted by cobolt

Fields was a Chicago institution and family tradition. Every Christmas holiday we went downtown to see the holiday windows and visit Santa at Fields. We'd dine in the Walnut Room underneath the big Christmas tree. That was a huge treat and we looked forward to it all year. Everytime I was on the bus or train and saw someone holding the signature green and white shopping bags, I knew they had just been to Fields. Fields was as much a part of my upbringing as Fannie Mays chocolate santas or turtles for Christmas or the buttercreme Easter eggs. The Fields clock is one of the most recognizable images around. It's a shame. Now I"m just getting mad. Screw Macy's.

Exactly. This was something that I looked forward to every year and even tried to get back to Chicago to see the windows & tree at Christmas; no matter where I lived at the time. Now, I won't even go to Macy's here in Charlotte and have told all of my friends & family to boycott them as well.

[cubssoxfan]

It's like the New Coke. Anyone remember that marketing brain cramp? BUT Coca Cola was smart enough to back track and bring back Classic Coke. If business continues to decline, perhaps Macy's will be smart enough to back track. At some point it has to be cheaper to pay for extra signage and extra bags(for the local brands) than bear the costs of lost sales. I don't even care if the merchandise has Macy's on it. If they put the local names back in and carry a few local traditions, like Frango Mints, then I think that's enough of a goodwill gesture.

[cobolt]

I still have an old empty box of Frango mints with the Field's name. I use it to store paper clips.

[noid_1985]

Macy's lol- I only shop at Carson Pirie Scott now. One thing about Chicagoans is that we try to support our companies first- that's why you'll rarely catch me at a CVS, because we have Walgreens.

[chicagocubs]

Originally Posted by noid_1985

Macy's lol- I only shop at Carson Pirie Scott now. One thing about Chicagoans is that we try to support our companies first- that's why you'll rarely catch me at a CVS, because we have Walgreens.

that is so funny!! When they started building Walgreens here (in Charlotte), I was so excited. Most people looked at me weird, but, I said, Walgreens is THE place to go!!