Macys coming to Jacksonville Finally! (Miami, Gainesville: neighborhood, purchase, shoppers)

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by FlyiMetro

Robyn, KerryB & Otis Wigham are nuts just plain nuts. I dont get you guys.

Well this kind of came out of left field. Last message I wrote (a month ago) was about getting in-store discounts for opening new credit card accounts. So perhaps you can explain the reason(s) for your statement. Robyn

[FlyiMetro]

Robyn sometimes you talk like you are so rich & well off.....Are you really telling the truth?

As far as Macys, cant say that Jax has arrived based on this department store opening in Jax. I am in Nordstroms right now, and they have some really nice stuff. I dont think Macys is on par with this store. Nordstroms coming to Jax would be better news.

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by FlyiMetro

Robyn sometimes you talk like you are so rich & well off.....Are you really telling the truth?

As far as Macys, cant say that Jax has arrived based on this department store opening in Jax. I am in Nordstroms right now, and they have some really nice stuff. I dont think Macys is on par with this store. Nordstroms coming to Jax would be better news.

No one would confuse me with Bill Gates - but my husband and I are retired lawyers and we are pretty "comfy" financially.

Which Nordstrom store are you at? My POV at my age - and stage of life - is I don't buy a whole lot of clothes now - especially fancy ones. I probably spend 98% of my time in "golf type" apparel (shorts and shirts) these days - which I tend to buy at golf stores (like Tour Stop) or golf clubs (here in JAX or where I travel). I have always liked Nordstrom - especially because it alters women's clothing for free. And I agree that in terms of women's clothing - it is much better than Macy's - although about equal with Bloomingdales. When I go to Orlando - stops at Nordstrom and Bloomingdales are mandatory - although they're in different malls. I'll note that I used to love Nordstrom because of its extensive shoe size offerings (I wear a size 5) - but recently many Nordstrom stores have become like other department stores - offering nothing smaller than size 6-7 - except on line.

The one thing I don't like about Nordstrom is it doesn't have housewares - linens - etc. While I won't buy a fancy dress "on spec" - I can always be persuaded to make an impulse purchase when it comes to something for the house. Which is why I miss Bloomingdales and Macy's more than Nordstrom here. And I wish Sur La Table had come here (it was talking about moving into the Town Center perhaps 3-4 years ago - but never came here). On a really hot day in the summer - I love poking around thousands of items in a specialty cooking store. Robyn

[lmh182]

This thread's a little old... but what department stores do you have in the Jax area? Dillards? I like Macy's so I was wondering if there's anything similar.

Thanks.

[Robyn55]

Dillards - Belk - nothing as good as Macy's. Robyn

[jsimms3]

Ha well I can't tell the difference between a nice Dillard's and a nice Macy's except that the Dillard's looks nicer on the inside. These are the only two department stores I routinely shop at as at my age the others are too much for my budget and a little too "fashionable" for my taste.

Dillard's is the nicest department store in Jax metro, unfortunately, but you may be very pleasantly surprised by the Dillard's at SJTC and at the Avenues. The one at SJTC is definitely above any Macy's I have been in (and many Macy's are actually crap since they were once Burdines or Rich's or any number of former local department stores).

When the economy picks up (and maybe before) SJTC phase III will have a Neiman Marcus and probably a Nordstrom, but you may have to wait a few years.

Even without having all the department stores here you can find just about whatever you're looking for because there are plenty of boutiques that sell the same merchandise scattered throughout town.

[FlyiMetro]

When the Macys in Jax does open, it will interesting the interest or lack of interest from haters. Tiffany & Co, has many haters in Jacksonville, many want it to stay a small backwoods town. They are losing that battle.

[jsimms3]

I really don't know what you are talking about here. People in Jax do want options, I haven't heard otherwise and retailers would not be opening new stores here if their research indicated otherwise.

Macy's is not a nice department store. The nicest suit a man can buy there is for about $800 (which is a lot of money but you aren't talking about a custom fitted suit with high quality wool, etc). The three nicest Macy's I have been in are the one at Lenox in Atlanta (where I shop frequently and have a Macy's card as a matter of fact), Millenia in Orlando, and of course the flagship in NYC. None of these "nice" Macy's are nicer than our Dillards at Town Center. The Dillards at Town Center is so nice (at least for men) that it is at least comparable to a nice Macy's and in the suit department falls between a nice Macy's and a Bloomy's/Nordstrom.

Macy's doesn't open here in Jax because for one we did not have any Burdines to convert into Macy's (there's proof in the pudding that most Macy's are actually crap...and Gainesville, Daytona, and Tally have Macy's, big deal), and Dillard's has it on lock here

And also, this Tiffany's and Tiffany's in general is not what it used to be. When high school girls can afford trinkets from Tiffany's you know they have changed their business model from 24K and up to affordable and catering to more masses. Jacksonville is easily ready for a Tiffany's, but the only concern there is that there will be crowding of all jewelers since Mayor's just arrived and all the local guys have expanded.

If Macy's comes to town...big deal. If Saks or Neiman Marcus or even a Barney's (Co-op or traditional) come to town, you know we have reached a higher demographic level. If all wealthy and upper middle class Jax residents were concentrated in one side of town as in other cities, we would have had all of this long ago. Our problem is we have the target demos spread out along the riverfront neighborhoods, a few southside neighborhoods, and at the beach, so it dilutes the numbers these stores are looking for. They have had to change their models when forecasting for our market.

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

Ha well I can't tell the difference between a nice Dillard's and a nice Macy's except that the Dillard's looks nicer on the inside. These are the only two department stores I routinely shop at as at my age the others are too much for my budget and a little too "fashionable" for my taste.

Dillard's is the nicest department store in Jax metro, unfortunately, but you may be very pleasantly surprised by the Dillard's at SJTC and at the Avenues. The one at SJTC is definitely above any Macy's I have been in (and many Macy's are actually crap since they were once Burdines or Rich's or any number of former local department stores).

When the economy picks up (and maybe before) SJTC phase III will have a Neiman Marcus and probably a Nordstrom, but you may have to wait a few years.

Even without having all the department stores here you can find just about whatever you're looking for because there are plenty of boutiques that sell the same merchandise scattered throughout town.

The Dillards at SJTC is higher end than the one at the Avenues (and the one in Regency is now a "closeout" outlet). Its low end is lower than you'll find at a good Macy's - not a rebranded crummy Burdine's like the one in Gainesville (or a Bloomingdales) - and its high end is lower too. One thing I dislike most about Dillards is its excessive reliance on its "in house phony designer labels" - like Rotelli Panini - to the exclusion of more mainstream name brands. Also - it's home and housewares offerings are truly pathetic. Belks has better offerings when its comes to women's apparel - but its home and housewares department is also pathetic.

I don't think we'll get a Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom here. Ever. We don't have the demographics for either (unlike Tiffany's - neither of those stores has dumbed down its offerings to appeal to middle of the road or lower buyers).

Shopping at boutiques here is for masochists. They frequently don't have things in your size. So you have to special order if you want something. Many stores don't have alterations departments (so you have to use your own alterations person). And most are store credit only if you change your mind and decide to return something.

Note that if and when you need to buy a bunch of new clothes (like for example for a new job) - the best place to go is Bloomingdales (like the one in Atlanta). Pick a weekend when they're having a great sale. And take out a Bloomingdales credit card during a great sale weekend when new credit cards get an extra 15-20% off. You can easily wind up knocking 40% off the cost of everything you buy (during the sales - holders of credit cards - new and old - can often get "the more you buy the more you save coupons"). Note that for a woman - one advantage of Nordstrom is free alterations (usual for men - very atypical for women - except perhaps when it comes to shortening a pair of pants). Robyn

[southernnaturelover]

I went to Macys in NYC a few years ago and I wasn't impressed, it was nothing but a fancy Dillards with hardwood floors. It's highly over-rated IMO.