Macy’s Backstage Names Two Additional Pilot Store Locations

by Katie Lee

Cincinnati — Macy’s, Inc. has added two additional pilot store locations in metro New York City for Macy’s Backstage, an off-price business that is one of the company’s key growth initiatives.

Together with four initial pilot locations announced last month, these two additional stores will bring to six the total number of Macy’s Backstage for launch. All are expected to open in fall 2015 and average about 30,000 square feet.

The new pilot stores are located at Fordham Place in The Bronx, N.Y., and at Essex Green Shopping Center in West Orange, N.J.

At Essex Green, an existing Macy’s store will be converted to Macy’s Backstage. The Macy’s Essex Green store will begin a final clearance sale on Sunday, June 14, which is expected to conclude in late July or early August. It will close for extensive remodeling before opening as Macy’s Backstage in about one-half of the existing space.

Macy’s Backstage will offer an assortment of women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, shoes, fashion accessories, housewares, home textiles, intimate apparel and jewelry. Each store also will include free WiFi and a suite of spacious fitting rooms. One location will test a café concept.

Merchandise will include clearance goods from Macy’s stores, as well as special buys from well-recognized fashion brands — often between 20% to 80% off of original and comparable prices for similar merchandise.

“We continue to be very excited about the coming of Macy’s Backstage. Feedback we have heard from shoppers since the initial public announcement of our first four pilot locations has been enthusiastic, and our team looks forward to bringing this fresh new retail concept to life,” says Peter Sachse, Macy’s chief innovation and business development officer. “These two new locations will enhance our opportunity to learn from the pilot stores. At Essex Green, we will begin to understand the dynamics of converting an existing Macy’s store to Backstage. At Fordham Place, we will be part of an iconic urban retail center in a densely populated community. As is Macy’s practice, we will test and learn to see what resonates most with customers so we can adjust our strategies before rolling out additional locations.”

The four previously announced pilot locations are:

• Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, N.Y.

• Queens Place in Elmhurst (Queens), N.Y.

• Lake Success Shopping Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

• Melville Mall in Huntington, N.Y.

Macy’s, Inc., with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one of the nation’s premier retailers. The company operates about 885 stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico under the names of Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s Outlet and Bluemercury. Bloomingdale’s in Dubai is operated by Al Tayer Group LLC under a license agreement.

SOURCE: Macy’s, Inc.

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