Market by Macy's: A Store Review

*Written in February 2020 pre-pandemic shut down

In February this year Macy's quietly opened what should prove to be a transformative lab store in an upper middle class community halfway between Dallas and Forth Worth. You may have read about this smaller neighborhood Market by Macy's muddled among the news of 150 full line Macy's department store closures and other less thrilling updates from the stalwart retailer.

Well I'm here to give you the scoop; Macy's is onto something here. 

Before hopping in our car in downtown Dallas and adventuring 30 minutes into the burbs I asked my better half, Brad, what we might be wanting to add to our lives in the way of 'things'. Some new jeans, some joggers, and some plants and pots for my new office at work. Check. List in mind we headed off, excited to be among the first to see this new store format. In the car I pull some research on Southlake, the singular place in America that Macy's chose for this test endeavor. Almost 30,000 people, 88% families of 3 or 4, solid six figure incomes and $800,000 homes, central to numerous similar surrounding communities perhaps not quite as privileged but still upwardly mobile middle incomes. 

Okay. I get it. Fish where the fish are. 

Driving in, the GPS took us through some back access roads and we wove our way around the Disney style make-believe downtown excitedly seeking the 40,000 sq. self-proclaimed neighborhood store 'monikered' with the red star we've come to know and used to love. We rolled by a nice clamor of activity on the sidewalk in front of a gracious entrance with branded overhang & double doors thrown open with beautiful plants adorning each side. Wow! Okay, I SEE you Macy's. We eventually found a parking deck tucked to the side and navigated out of the garage on foot past loading areas to a back entrance of the store, same overhang as the main sidewalk side but double doors closed and not as inviting. 

What a big difference the small gesture of openness and greenery makes for those who properly find their way to the 'front'. 

Upon entry we ran smack into a beautiful display offering plants and pots, of all things...the one item on our list we thought was a stretch of expectation for this new shop. Thrilled, I immediately start choosing the brightest and freshest of the lot giving Brad only a slight bit of anxiety as I impulsively made buying decisions not 2 minutes in the door. Slow down, Bil, take it in. We are here to savor and explore. I step back, pause, take in the room. 

What a lovely energy and space.

At first meticulously curated yet comforting and casual, the steady thump of ambient sounds, akin to that you find in a boutique hotel hallway, abound. I immediately notice a plethora of people clumping around various vignettes fondling fabric and furnishings with fervor. I guess I'm not alone in my discovery mode rapture.  (Thanks for humoring my alliteration)

I walk down the aisle snapping photos of a sneaker wall then a ladies apparel boutique when a warm, stout, bearded guy approaches encouraging me to post to social media. I assure him it will be done. A Gen X woman slinks by in cork clogs, gripping a Topo, excitedly buying a giant coffee table book and near identical dress to the one she has on, but with more flair. 

I like this place. I feel good here. 

I dive towards some denim on a display in what appears to be a trendy men's shop, only to be let down that they are Levi's. I've always been more of a Diesel or Joe or even William Rast when it comes to jeans. I move to a wall display and feel a soft dark denim folded in a cubicle...not familiar with the brand, these look good...but OUCH, the price was $250.00, I can't even bring myself to try them on. I search further. No luck. 

I scour the racks and acknowledge that this feels like a tiny section of Nordstrom, that store with a similar vibe but broader product where I know I can find what I want. 

Only slightly deflated, I see Brad make his way to a lamp in the same wall display. All of the displays and furnishings are for sale. What a novel idea!!! This lamp was sleek and modern with hints of blue but Brad's brow furrowed as he lifted the product high searching for a price. Enter a casually dressed associate introducing himself as our helper. He joins us in search of a price tag and apologizes that he will have to go look it up. We move on. 

We pass by a Gen X Mom with two daughters (one Millennial, one Gen Z) they are still in search-mode, but I see buying in their eyes.

Boomer couple incoming as the man of the pair asks aloud, 'Why are we here? This isn't the Macy's we know and love' which reminded me of scowls and harrumphs I heard in the halls of Ron Johnson's short lived new-format jcp. I eye-balled these boomers around the display as the wife dove for a delightful yellow raincoat. She was feeling the texture as her husband shook his head at the price point. He quickly moved on to a boat shoes display in a decidedly more preppy and conservative men's shop anchored by a book about Sailing. 

Nice looking product, I thought, but not my vibe. 

Turning back at the sound of children laughing, I find a kids’ section with cute product merchandised around an over-sized lite brite wall and giant blue rubber tinker toys. Remember Tinker Toys??? I excuse myself past a wall of women and strollers and stand alone on the product display side of this shop in shop. Looking back, I discover a group of adults mesmerized by an interactive sequins wall...the kind I first saw on a Hudson Yards barricade and have since seen replicated at many a mall across America.   As a people we do love shiny things, don't we?

I exit the kid land and spy a smartly dressed Gen X couple in an area more my speed, seemingly inspired by golf and booze.  The woman gripped a near empty glass of white wine, wearing a fuzzy white sweater, tastefully tight blue jeans, and questionably stylish high heeled white pumps. Her husband swilled a 40 oz. craft brew, grinning ear to ear in his un-tucked dress shirt, blue jeans, and bright white sneaks. They poked and prodded at sundry items targeted towards men, the sort of tchotchkes one buys for an uncle or father who might like golf but definitely likes booze. I call Brad's attention to an upholstered gold bar in the middle of the area and half-jokingly ask if we should buy it. We decide it is entirely 'too Dallas' for our taste, glance at a wall of preppy polos and golf clothes probably perfect for the target demo, but not us, and move on.

'Maybe there's free booze' I say excitedly, as I witness more customers drinking their way around. I beeline towards the hub bub of a stylish and sophisticated room set with bar and food where I'm greeted by a gentleman who seems to be our host, introducing himself and welcoming us to his afternoon mixer. 

Free fresh water on tap infused with lemon. Mmmm. I needed that. 

Alas the booze was not free, and I exit. Back to business. I make my way to the retail passing two Baby Boomer men ('family', as I might call them) fawning over scented candles tidily displayed on a chic wall. The wall leads into what feels like a high end public sauna. 

Ahhhh, I let out a sigh. The Apothecary. Brilliant! 

Sinks and shower tile adorned with all kinds of product, for men even! We start touching and reading items to discover a perfect blend of old faithful (Tom Ford cologne & Kiehls skincare) and new discovery product (Loli, and I honestly don't remember the brands but other cool stuff). The room & assortment feel fresh in the warmly lit, aqua hued, spa-like space. 

We accelerate past another women's boutique section and back into the bar/food area where we discover a small home section anchored by stylish furniture and accessories for eating, drinking, and homing. Well done. 

Great product, nicely curated. We will make purchase here another day.

After finalizing some high stakes plant purchase decisions, we make our way to the check out 'cubby', inset to the wall behind a product display table. No line here and the friendly, almost too casual gentleman, greeted us at the POS. He checked us out smoothly, for the most part, as we navigated awkward product over awkward counters. I was reunited with the familiar and clunky POS from the full line Macy's department store. It didn't recognize me as is typical so I plunked my email in with the palm pilot style pen and MS DOS type font I've come to know from my days when they used to sell Diesel denim. The man packed our things in branded Market by Macy's paper bags and encouraged us to come back again soon as the whole store would be constantly changing.

On the drive home, thinking back, we really loved the place. It had a great vibe, like an active, higher-end, boutique hotel lobby. It was buzzing with activity and people one would celebrate having at a successful in home cocktail party. There was quality product reflecting Macy's house brands, national brands, emerging digital & DTC brands, and some local product to finish it off. The staff was available, friendly, casually professional and appropriate, if not a little too 'chummy' at times. A fun shopping day out in a sleek yet cozy environment with cool product, fun people, and refreshment. Thank you, Macy's.

Three 'tips', if you will, to the powers that be:

Put pricing on EVERYTHING for sale. Perhaps high end estate or tag sale stickers, handwritten or in handwritten font. Many purchases are made on impulse and nothing kills that impulse more than not knowing how much something costs. 

The world still wants and needs a proper checkout counter...just one. Somewhere prominent. Properly sized for larger hauls or product. The mobile and remote checkouts are great for small purchases but you still need to accommodate your best bulk buyers. Also, don't separate your staff from the shoppers at POS. This is our moment of union. Connect with us. Walk the bags out to us like other hospitality focused retailers. Keep finding that perfect voice & training for your associates. You're onto something here but it's not quite there yet.

Do 'Free Drink Happy Hours' to draw crowds for repeat visits at convenient and appropriate times for them. Invite people to come over for a drink 'to hang' and discover new product in your fantastically curated and designed space. It may just become 'a thing'.

If pressed, I'd say Macy's has 'nailed it' in many ways as they strive to endear themselves to us on a local level.

I can't help but think if they would apply these basic tenets of retailing to their full line stores, they'd draw the crowds of consumers they once did. Many stores still throughput serious volumes of traffic, far more than could ever pour through this smaller store format. 

While I'm excited to see where this smaller format evolves, I do hope Macy's sharpens its focus on the full line department store, more than this shiny new concept, to fortify the core assets & revenue opportunity before them while incubating this new format to stay front line with future generations of shoppers.

 If done right, Market by Macy's just may be the gateway drug Gen X needs to remind all of our beloved young'uns of the majesty, convenience, and style of a full-service experience department store.