As it continues adding off-mall operations, Macy’s announced plans to open four small-format stores this fall to support its omnichannel strategy.
The stores will include Market by Macy’s, a smaller format that offers customers a curated assortment of trending fashions, as well as the first-ever dual Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage off-price location.
Macy’s Backstage has expanded to more than 300 Macy’s stores nationwide since 2015 including nine freestanding locations. The newest Backstage freestanding store opened in Spring 2022 in the Dallas-Fort Worth market.
The first Market by Macy’s debuted in 2020, also in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. In 2021, Macy’s opened four new stores, two in the Atlanta metro area and two in Dallas-Fort Worth. By 2022’s end, Macy’s plans to expand the Market by Macy’s format to eight total locations, the company reported.
As in full-line Macy’s stores, Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage customers can pay their bills or pick up orders from the At Your Service desk inside the store, a dedicated location for easy store pick-ups and returns.
In August, a Market by Macy’s will open in Suwanee, GA, the third location in the metro-Atlanta area. Although the retailer didn’t provide exact opening details, Market by Macy’s will soon debut in the St. Louis area, and the first dual Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage store will open this fall in Evergreen Park, IL, a Chicago suburb. In that case, Market by Macy’s will be located on the first floor and Backstage on the second floor.
As part of the company’s Polaris strategy, Macy’s is repositioning its physical store footprint to serve customers and support omnichannel market sales growth, the company maintained. Off-mall small formats play several roles in the company’s Polaris strategy, Macy’s added, including expanding its presence in a current market, maintaining market presence by replacing underperforming locations, or penetrating new markets where Macy’s doesn’t have a presence.
“At Macy’s, we thrive on retail being a dynamic business requiring continuous analysis, reinvention and innovation,” said Marc Mastronardi, chief stores officer at Macy’s. “As customer preferences and buying behaviors change, we continue to evolve to deliver the experience our customers expect. As exciting brand extensions, Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage each offer unique shopping experiences: One celebrates discovery and convenience, while the other appeals to the customer who loves the thrill of the hunt for a great value.”
