Macy's seeks to gloss over Marshall Field's name change

Don't patronize us. I will never set foot in the store again. I have been a customer my entire life. Will be closing my credit card account that has been active since 1973 as will most of the people I know.
Macy's is not considered with the same regard as Marshall Fields. I for one will relish the day that the store on State Street is empty...as it will be...did you notice the empty lot across the street? It has been that way for more than ten years and currently construction has been stopped once again. Thank you for stopping the renaissance of State Street. Fields was the only decent store left and most people only went because of its tradition. I don't know who you think is going to shop at the State Street store. Currently its base is made up of downtown workers and tourists...none of whom will go to that great symbol of Chicago..Macy's.

They turned Riches and Burdines into Macy's or Bloomingdales then ruined their businesses.
Long live JC Penney's. Try them they are becoming what you were missing in your favorite dept. store. Quality .

How stupid the management of the corporation behind the Macy's name to "take over" and "take away" the Field's name, history, reputation and meories. I don't care who owns Marshall Field's,
but why do they have to change the name? Can't they continue to
operate it as Marshall Field's despite being owned by Macy's???

We are NOT New York City. Macy's is NOT a tradition for Chicagoans.
I hope loyal Field's shoppers will boycott the Macy's on State Street and other Field's locations to let Macy's management know
they made a VERY BAD DECISION. I don't care what celebrities show up for the name change -- it won't change how we feel about Marshall Field's. Stupid, stupid, stupid decision Macy's!

I am with you wholeheartedly, Chicago! Federated has no regard for the communities these stores served or the good of America. They are just like the rest of corporate America - turning our nation into one of very few choices in every category- all to save a buck and please shareholders. So many fine stores are gone forever - Foley's, Bon Marche', Rich's, Burdine's, Lazarus, Kaufmann's,
Robinson's, Bullock's, Bullock's Wilshire, I.Magnin, Block's, Joske's, Ivey's, Abraham & Straus, Bonwit Teller, Sakowitz, B Altman, The Broadway, Sanger-Harris, Garfinkel's, Woodward & Lothrop, J.H.Holmes, McRaes's, Proffits, Hecht's, Higbee's, Walter Pye's, Castner-Knott, Cain-Sloan, Sibley's, Gimbel's, Bamberger's, Goldwater's, Strawbridge & Clothier, The Jones Store, Gayfer's, Maison Blanche, Jordan Marsh, Maas Brothers, Hudson's, Dayton's, Marshall Field's, Levy's, Shillto-Rike's, Meir & Frank, Palais Royal, Beall's, Filen's, Frost Brothers, Thalhimer's, Stern's, and on and on and on it goes.. Do you realize in 1990 there were over 1000 family owned or independent department stores in the U.S.? Now there are 3. 1466

Just look at your own post at least 10 of the stores you mentioned were from mergers or buy outs, but now all the sudden this deal is evil? Grow up it’s just a name!!

Bon Marche',
Bullock's Wilshire
Abraham & Straus
Sanger-Harris
Woodward & Lothrop
Castner-Knott
Cain-Sloan
Strawbridge & Clothier
Shillto-Rike's
Meir & Frank

Yeah Right,
Of the stores mentioned, only 8 were from mergers. The Bon Marche and Bullock's Wilshire were not. What you don't realize is when the 8 mentioned merged (back in the early 1900's into the 1980's) there were literally thousands of family run, independent regional department stores in the U.S. Now, according to recent data, there are three. There is a big difference in what was and what is occurring now.

Fed up in Houston wrote:

I am with you wholeheartedly, Chicago! Federated has no regard for the communities these stores served or the good of America. They are just like the rest of corporate America - turning our nation into one of very few choices in every category- all to save a buck and please shareholders. So many fine stores are gone forever - Foley's, Bon Marche', Rich's, Burdine's, Lazarus, Kaufmann's,
Robinson's, Bullock's, Bullock's Wilshire, I.Magnin, Block's, Joske's, Ivey's, Abraham & Straus, Bonwit Teller, Sakowitz, B Altman, The Broadway, Sanger-Harris, Garfinkel's, Woodward & Lothrop, J.H.Holmes, McRaes's, Proffits, Hecht's, Higbee's, Walter Pye's, Castner-Knott, Cain-Sloan, Sibley's, Gimbel's, Bamberger's, Goldwater's, Strawbridge & Clothier, The Jones Store, Gayfer's, Maison Blanche, Jordan Marsh, Maas Brothers, Hudson's, Dayton's, Marshall Field's, Levy's, Shillto-Rike's, Meir & Frank, Palais Royal, Beall's, Filen's, Frost Brothers, Thalhimer's, Stern's, and on and on and on it goes.. Do you realize in 1990 there were over 1000 family owned or independent department stores in the U.S.? Now there are 3. 1466

I agree it is a terrible shame that all of these old stores are gone, but blame Wal-Mart and the customers before you blame Macy's. Independent department stores don't have the buying power to leverage lower prices like the big chain stores do. And customers are showing with their wallets that they don't want to pay the prices it takes to make the old department store model profitable. If you're looking for a scapegoat, blame Marshall Field's for not being able to hold it together. They sold. Macy's bought.

Still, so, so sad about the loss of the name. And the luxury brands. I miss luxury brands. The only dept store near me is Macy's, and they have none of the nicer bridge lines like Tahari. The clothes are all Charter Club crap.

Everyone seems to have forgotten that Federated "bought out Macy*s". Macy's would probably not exist if not for Federated and I would have been out of a job long ago. Macy's was not accepted well when we first were Bamberger's and were then changed to the "family name", however, now we are just part of the community and the place to go to shop and get what you are looking for. Although I don't personally agree with all of the changes that have been made since we became Federated, I think that keeping the Macy's name was a good idea, as it is known all over the country. The Thanksgiving Day parade and 4th of July Fireworks will join other traditions of the new stores. Many other stores have gone through conversions and have lived to tell about it. The company will survive as it has for so many years. And, as for the "new associates" of Macy's they will be becoming part of a great tradition. Macy's is not a bad place to work at or I would have left years ago myself. Federated only bought what was available to buy. THIS IS BUSINESS, and the buyout was a business deal obviously the May company could not keep themselves together , as Macy's could not years ago when Federated bailed them out! I would much rather work for a strong company able to buy out a company in trouble that to have "debtor in possesion" stamped on my check and wonder if that next check is coming. Hopefully the people of chicago and the other cities with stores being converted will learn to like the stores in their areas. I guess if you don't like fashion, or service, you can always go shop at Wal-Mart.

An Associate of Macys wrote:

Although I don't personally agree with all of the changes that have been made since we became Federated, I think that keeping the Macy's name was a good idea, as it is known all over the country. The Thanksgiving Day parade and 4th of July Fireworks will join other traditions of the new stores.

Once, when I was nine years old, my family took a trip to New York City for Thanksgiving. My dad took me to see the Macy's parade balloons being inflated near Central Park. I will never forget that, it was amazing to see.

I have literally grown up going to Bamberger's and Macy's and loved them as a child. However, I truly discovered that I didn't know that I could be in love with a store until I went to Chicago to shop at Marshall Field's. I believe that the changeover to Macy's is going to be devistating for the morale of so many people. Why couldn't Federated consolidate the midwest into 3 brands, Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Marshall Field's in the midwest ? By the way, we have yet to learn what will happen to Lord & Taylor...as they are currently up for sale by Federated !

Correction..the question should read,"Why couldn't Federated consolidate stores throughout the U.S. into 3 brands,Macy's Bloomingdale's and Marshall Field's in the midwest ?

Well, this is supposed to be a forum about Sarah Jessica Parker, not about Federated's ill-considered decision to absorb Marshall Field's into Macy's. But it's hard to see why a popular actress would want to insert herself into such a hornet's nest by showing up in Chicago on behalf of Macy's. I've spoken to people who are planning to protest at the State Street Store that day (and indeed I would like to be there myself). Over 60,000 people have signed an on-line petition against the name change. This is not a way for Ms. Parker, whom I consider to be a talented actress, to make herself popular in the Midwest.

Hello Marshall Field's friends...Greetings from Boston!!:)
Well lets just get to the main poin and work from there."Federated Department Stores,Inc AND Macy's SUCK."OK,that being said,you may know why and you may not know why.Lets out line a few things shall we?
The move comes as Federated completes its $17 billion merger with Filene's (in Boston Massachusetts) parent company, May Department Stores Co, and attempts to position Macy's even more broadly as a national department store.
They are a mega corporation that is out of controll. They are taking over all sorts of national and regional department store chains. They are putting thousands of people out of work. They are destroying proud old companies and along with that their local traditions and community programs. The Federated Department Stores,Inc. are like the Borg from Star Trek...they come in and make one homogeneous blah store.
When all these proud stores are absorbed into the Federated stores network they all loose their souls, and over time their names and history just fade away. Most are companies that are old and important to the identies of many cities. With historic old store locations.
Boston,Massachusetts will lose one of its most famous brands when Federated Department Stores Inc. turns all Filene's into Macy's and closes about a dozen stores in New England, including the flagship in Downtown Crossing (Down Town Boston)where Filene's began in 1881. Across the country, Federated will replace all of the May Co.'s regional names,including Marshall Field's, Hecht's, Kaufmann's, Strawbridge's and many others with the Macy's moniker by the fall of 2006. Federated will also close 68 Filene's stores -- Macy's, Filene's,and other regional stores, which accounted for about $2 billion in sales last year and currently employ 17,477 people. Nice going Federated Borg,Inc.
They came in and destroyed the Jordan,Marsh and Company founded 1841 also in Boston. Now what stores they did not close are called, you guessed it! Macy's. Boycott Federated!!! They SUCK!!!

It amazes me how these people from places other than Chicago feel that it is just a name change... and that we should get over it. I think you need to be from Chicago to truly appreciate the tradition of Marshall Fields.

The issue is not that Federated bought Marshall Field's... the issue is the egotistical way that Federated feels they can toss aside lifetime of traditions of Chicagoians with Marshall Fields and replace them with their "Better" traditions.

But if it is just a name.... then Coke is just a formula for sugar water (I think it is time to change that one again). Wrigley field or Yankee Stadium are just building let's tear it down and replace it with something more modern. I am also ready for the Microsoft Museum to replace the name of the Museum of Science and Industry. And I think it is about time for the Walmart Thanksgiving day parade.... because after all the parade is expensive and outdated....... with department stores struggling... wouldn't it just make better financial sense to get rid of that big expediture.

Please just get over it. Who cares??? Get a damn life you fools!!!

Macy's was NOT bought by Federated because it was run poorly! It was because a group of greedy executives tried to take the company private in a leveraged buyout at the same time they were in a bidding war for I. Magnin with you guessed it--Federated. That all caused a HUGE DEBT burden that led to Macy's bankruptcy.
The executives saw dollar signs for themselves, and it didn't work out the way they planned.
Oh, and by the way, the greediest executive of them all Mr. Finkelstein got an ENORMOUS ($$$) GOLDEN PARACHUTE and is living the high life.
The rest of us poor suckers got to "keep our jobs" if we were lucky and lost our pensions (they were swithched to Cash Acct. Plans). We lost all sorts of benefits after Federated.
Macy's was a great company--Federated is not.

Read "The rain on Macy's Parade" and "Going for Broke". They go into the events precluding Macy's bankruptcy and the greed of Mr. Finkelstein and the takeovers of Allied Department Stores and Federated Department Stores by the Canadian Campeau. The rediculous purchase of the 2 department store companies with junk bonds in the 1980s by the Canadian creep changed the retail landscape in the U.S. forever.

I loved Hudsons. I agree with most posters here. What will the landscape be in this country, Wal-Marts and Macys? I like Macys, and I shop online with them, but we need choice and diversity in America. No choice, no fun. I guess that's the whole idea, eh?

Macy's is a great store if you want something slightly nicer than the brands that Wal Mart carry. They do provide an hour or two of entertainment on Thanksgiving morning.( even though it is the same every year). There is no way that Macy's can ever compare to or try to be Marshall Fields. Fields was the ultimate for customer service and quality products. No matter what you bought or how small your purchase was,you were made to feel like a king or queen. A Marshall Fields store was elegant and comfortable to shop in. The only Macy's that can even come close is the store on Herald square. Even that store has gotten ragged and the quality of the service and products is definitely lacking. I was born in Chicago and was raised within the Fields tradition. We may be stuck with Macy's , but they will never be able to maintain the elegance and traditions of Marshall Fields

I don't have the past emotional ties of Field's, living here in CA but looking at this just from an business standpoint, Field's was the better store. Macy's up until 1995 was a very nice store, lots of name brands, designer labels, just enough of the private brands to keep it affordable, smart and chic merchandising I did alot of shopping there at one time, but it all went down hill in the last 10 years. The stores near me are frankly, dumps. The carpeting is dirty and ripped, the floor tiles are missing, the walls look like they haven't been washed or painted in 10 years. Clothing is packed in long racks like an outlet, clothes on the floor. Most of the clothes are their private labels. The name just doesn't have the cachet it did in the past. Lighting with burned out bulbs that haven't been used in years, they are sad and depressing stores, if any store should have been killed off it should have been Macy's! Bloomingdales OTH is very nice, so they do no something about stores.

Field's to me on the few times I visited when I went back for family was cool, it had this old school, old money elegance yet hip and fashionable feel to it. Thomas Pink shirts, Tummi luggage shop, Armani, Zegna, Gene Meyer, the 28 Shop, the cool wines/spirits gourmet section, the Walnut Room, the Herman Miller and Baker furniture, the huge housewares dept., Steuben Glass. I loved the witty, whimsical windows and store displays. The customer service was always great to me. It reminded me of Macy's when it was great in the 80's.
It's just my opinion but anyone who thinks Macy's is the better store is freaking out of their minds, or they have never been to a Macy's. Lundgren's idea of improving Field's is to add a bunch of overpriced private label junk throwaway clothes and place iPods in a vending machine?? BFD iPods can be found anywhere so what! Chicago is trading down not up.