Today, Macy’s unveiled a major portion of the world’s largest shoe floor, part of the $400 million renovation underway in the department store’s NYC Herald Square flagship. According to WWD, The retailer will top the competition with the most selling space devoted exclusively to footwear: a whopping 39,000 square feet of shoe heaven.
The move got us thinking: There’s been a lot of footwear frenzy among Manhattan’s top department stores these days. Retailers like Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor and Bergdorf Goodman have all been amping up their shoe departments, though Macy’s is also adding a much-needed makeover to be able to keep up with the competition.
Macy’s chairman, president and CEO, Terry J. Lundgren, explained the shoe surge in an interview with WWD, saying: “The most direct route to a woman’s heart is often through shoes.” Macy’s is hoping that by increasing customer satisfaction with their new shoe mecca, they can build a loyal clientele for the store’s other categories.
The new shoe floor will boast 280,000 pairs of shoes (twice the amount of their previous stock) and will have a more organized and upscale feel. Customers who have been discouraged by past Macy’s shopping trips (trust us — we’ve been there) will also receive the added incentive of improved customer service: 430-plus shoe floor employees will use iPod Touches for transactions and quick product retrieval, ensuring that they will never have to leave your side.
On the shoe floor, organization is also being optimized with the introduction of different shoe zones, each with their own look and feel. Example categories include “big brands” (e.g. Cole Haan and Michael Kors) and “fashion forward” (e.g. Rachel Roy and Dolce Vita).
So how does the new Macy’s shoe floor stack up against the competition? Click through our slideshow for renderings of the upcoming Macy’s floor, as well as a glimpse of what other department store rivals are doing to amp up their game.
[via WWD]
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