Macy's, Inc.

Macy's, Inc. is an American retail holding company whose principal banners are Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury. The company traces its corporate history to the creation of Federated Department Stores in 1929, when several established regional department-store businesses were brought under common ownership. Its best-known operating brand, Macy's, has a separate retail history dating to 1858, when Rowland Hussey Macy opened a dry-goods store in New York City. That heritage, including the Herald Square flagship and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, remains central to the company's consumer identity. The corporation expanded for much of the twentieth century through acquisitions, operating a changing portfolio of regional department-store nameplates. Federated acquired R.H. Macy & Co. in 1994 after Macy's had experienced financial distress and bankruptcy earlier in the decade. The merger placed Macy's and Bloomingdale's within the same corporate group and moved the combined company's headquarters to Cincinnati. Federated subsequently acquired The May Department Stores Company in 2005. The transaction added roughly 500 department stores and a large bridal and formalwear business; many of May's regional stores were converted to the Macy's nameplate in 2006. This conversion strategy created a more nationally consistent Macy's brand, while selected businesses were sold or discontinued. In 2007, Federated Department Stores changed its corporate name to Macy's, Inc., aligning the holding company with its most recognizable banner. The group continued to operate Macy's as a broad, value-conscious department-store brand, Bloomingdale's as a more premium and fashion-oriented retailer, and later Bluemercury as a specialty luxury-beauty business. Macy's, Inc. completed the acquisition of Bluemercury in 2015 for $210 million in cash, adding standalone beauty stores, spa services, and beauty boutiques within Macy's locations. The company's assortment spans women's, men's, and children's apparel; shoes; accessories; intimate apparel; cosmetics and fragrance; home furnishings; jewelry; and seasonal merchandise. Stores are complemented by websites, mobile applications, fulfillment services, loyalty programs, and omnichannel capabilities such as pickup and returns. Macy's Media Network extends the business beyond merchandise retail by selling targeted advertising placements and measurement services to consumer brands using first-party shopper audiences across Macy's and Bloomingdale's digital and physical environments. Macy's, Inc. operates primarily in the United States, with additional operations in Guam and Puerto Rico. In response to changing shopping patterns, department-store competition, declining traffic in some locations, and the growth of digital commerce, the company has pursued store rationalization, productivity improvements, merchandising changes, and investment in its stronger locations and growth banners. Its continuing strategy balances a large national Macy's footprint with the higher-end positioning and expansion potential of Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury. The company remains a publicly traded retailer on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol M.

Macy's, Inc. is the successor to Federated Department Stores, a holding company established in 1929 around several regional department-store businesses, including Abraham & Straus, Lazarus, Filene's, and Shillito's. Bloomingdale's joined the Federated portfolio in 1930. For decades, Federated grew through acquisitions and managed multiple regional banners rather than presenting a single national identity. The company's corporate history became more turbulent in the 1980s. Federated was acquired in 1988 by Canadian developer Robert Campeau in a highly leveraged transaction. The debt burden, combined with economic weakness and unsuccessful corporate restructuring, contributed to Federated's bankruptcy in 1992. After emerging from bankruptcy, the company pursued a more disciplined portfolio strategy. A decisive change came in December 1994, when Federated merged with R.H. Macy & Co. Macy's itself had begun in 1858 under Rowland Hussey Macy and had developed into a major New York department-store institution, centered on its Herald Square flagship. The merger brought the Macy's name and Bloomingdale's under common ownership and made Federated the owner of one of the most recognizable American retail brands. The combined company relocated its headquarters to Cincinnati, the traditional base of Federated. Federated then applied its Macy's branding strategy to additional regional chains. In 1995 it acquired Broadway Stores, converting many locations to Macy's and assigning selected stores to Bloomingdale's. In 2005 the company agreed to acquire The May Department Stores Company in a stock transaction. May contributed hundreds of department stores and regional banners such as Marshall Field's, Kaufmann's, Filene's, Foley's, and Hecht's, as well as bridal and formalwear operations. Most of the continuing department stores were converted to Macy's in 2006, giving the banner national coverage. Some acquired businesses, including Lord & Taylor and several bridal operations, were later divested or discontinued. In 2007, Federated Department Stores adopted the name Macy's, Inc. The change recognized the Macy's banner as the group's principal consumer brand while preserving Bloomingdale's as a distinct premium operation. During the 2000s and 2010s, the company invested substantially in e-commerce, mobile shopping, private-label merchandise, loyalty, localization, and integrated store-and-digital operations. Terry Lundgren, chief executive from 2003 to 2017 and executive chairman until 2018, was associated with the May integration, national Macy's rollout, and expansion of digital retail. Macy's, Inc. broadened its portfolio again in 2015 by acquiring Bluemercury, a specialty luxury-beauty retailer offering products, consultation, and spa services. Bluemercury operated both standalone stores and shop-in-shop locations. The acquisition gave Macy's a more specialized beauty platform and an additional growth banner alongside its department stores. The later history of the company has been shaped by the structural challenges facing traditional department stores: changing consumer preferences, increased promotional pressure, online competition, and uneven store productivity. Management has responded through store closures and asset productivity measures, while continuing to invest in digital channels, stronger stores, Bloomingdale's, Bluemercury, customer loyalty, and retail media. Seasonal public-facing properties remain important, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, July Fourth fireworks, and Spring Flower Show. These experiences connect the operating business to the Macy's brand's long-standing role in American popular culture.

• 2023

  Macy's Media Network expands off-site advertising

  [6]Macy's Media Network and The Trade Deskmacysinc.com

  Macy's Media Network partnered with The Trade Desk to extend access to its shopper audiences in digital advertising.

• 2015

  Bluemercury acquisition completed

  [3]Bluemercury acquisition announcementmacysinc.com

  Macy's, Inc. acquired Bluemercury, expanding into specialty luxury beauty and spa services.

• 2007

  Corporate name changes to Macy's, Inc.

  [7]Terry J. Lundgren biographybusiness.columbia.edu

  Federated Department Stores adopted the Macy's, Inc. corporate name.

• 2006

  Regional stores converted to Macy's

  [2]Macy's, Inc. 2007 Form 10-Ksec.gov

  Most continuing May department stores were converted to the Macy's nameplate, creating broad national coverage.

• 2005

  May Department Stores acquisition

  [2]Macy's, Inc. 2007 Form 10-Ksec.gov

  Federated completed its acquisition of May, adding approximately 500 department stores and related operations.

• 1994

  Federated acquires R.H. Macy & Co.

  [1]Macy's, Inc. corporate history and operations referenceen.wikipedia.org

  The merger brought Macy's into the Federated group and strengthened the company's national department-store platform.

• 1992

  Federated emerges from bankruptcy

  [8]Federated emerges from bankruptcybritannica.com

  The company completed a bankruptcy restructuring after the leveraged Campeau acquisition.

• 1930

  Bloomingdale's joins Federated

  [1]Macy's, Inc. corporate history and operations referenceen.wikipedia.org

  Bloomingdale's became part of Federated's department-store portfolio.

• 1929

  Federated Department Stores is established

  [1]Macy's, Inc. corporate history and operations referenceen.wikipedia.org

  Federated Department Stores was formed as a holding company for several regional department-store businesses.

A multibanner American retail group: Macy's serves broad department-store and value-oriented shopping missions, Bloomingdale's emphasizes premium fashion and luxury, and Bluemercury focuses on specialty beauty, services, and consultation.

• Department-store retail · 1858

  Macy's

  Macy's is the group's principal mass-market and department-store banner. It sells women's, men's, and children's apparel; shoes; accessories; beauty products; jewelry; home furnishings; and seasonal merchandise through stores, macys.com, and mobile channels. The banner combines broad branded and private-label assortments with promotions, loyalty benefits, fulfillment services, and high-profile seasonal experiences such as the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

• Premium department-store retail · 1861

  Bloomingdale's

  Bloomingdale's is Macy's, Inc.'s premium department-store banner. Its assortment emphasizes designer and contemporary fashion, accessories, beauty, home, and gift merchandise, with a more fashion-led presentation and service model than the core Macy's business. It operates physical stores and digital commerce under the Bloomingdale's name.

• Luxury beauty retail · 1999

  Bluemercury

  Bluemercury is a specialty beauty retailer acquired by Macy's, Inc. in 2015. It sells prestige skin care, makeup, fragrance, hair care, and related products through neighborhood stores, beauty boutiques located inside Macy's stores, and its digital channel. The concept also includes beauty advice and spa-related services.

• Retail media

  Macy's Media Network

  Macy's Media Network is the company's advertising and retail-media platform. It offers sponsored product listings, on-site display, off-site digital placements, branded experiences, and email opportunities across Macy's and Bloomingdale's environments. Its proposition is based on using first-party shopper data and reporting online and store-related conversion activity for participating advertisers.

• 2025Bluemercury Up Next

  United States

  Bluemercury introduced a campaign focused on women aged 40 and above, presenting aging as a period of confidence, individuality, and continued personal and professional growth rather than primarily as a problem to correct.

  Outcome. The campaign repositioned representation of mature women as an empowerment and growth issue. The supplied announcement did not provide a measured sales or brand-impact result.

  Source
• 2024Macy's Gift Guide

  United States

  Macy's turned its annual holiday gift guide into a fictional expert character played by Alison Brie. The campaign used advertising and social content to present recommendations for gifts, festive clothing, hosting, and self-gifting, while linking the narrative to the retailer's seasonal assortment and value proposition.

  Outcome. The campaign served as a coordinated holiday platform across television, digital, social media, and Macy's seasonal experiences; a quantified commercial outcome was not provided.

  Source
• 2023Macy's Media Network off-site audience activation

  United States

  Macy's Media Network introduced an audience partnership with The Trade Desk, enabling advertisers to use Macy's and Bloomingdale's shopper audiences in off-site digital media plans.

  Outcome. The initiative expanded the company's retail-media offering beyond its owned websites and stores; no independent performance result was reported in the supplied material.

  Source

• 2023

  Expand retail-media distribution through The Trade DeskStrategy

  Background

  Retailers increasingly monetize first-party shopper data and advertising inventory as a complement to merchandise sales.

  Action taken

  Macy's Media Network partnered with The Trade Desk to make selected Macy's and Bloomingdale's audiences available for off-site digital campaigns.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement extended Macy's advertising proposition to external digital media, with closed-loop measurement positioned as a differentiator.

  Source

• 2015

  Acquire BluemercuryM&A

  Background

  Macy's, Inc. sought a stronger position in prestige beauty and a specialty format that could operate independently as well as inside department stores.

  Action taken

  The company completed the cash acquisition of Bluemercury, including its standalone stores, spa-related services, and Macy's shop-in-shop potential.

  Aftermath

  Bluemercury became a continuing Macy's, Inc. nameplate and broadened the group beyond traditional department-store retail.

  Acquisition consideration. $210 million cash (March 9, 2015)

  Source

• 2007

  Rename Federated Department Stores as Macy's, Inc.Strategy

  Background

  The Macy's banner had become the group's central national consumer identity after the R.H. Macy and May integrations.

  Action taken

  The corporation changed its legal and public company name from Federated Department Stores, Inc. to Macy's, Inc.

  Aftermath

  The holding company aligned its corporate identity with Macy's while continuing to operate Bloomingdale's and other businesses as distinct banners.

  Source

• 2005

  Acquire The May Department Stores CompanyM&A

  Background

  Federated sought to expand its geographic reach and consolidate a fragmented American department-store market by acquiring May and its regional store portfolio.

  Action taken

  Federated agreed to acquire May in a stock transaction and subsequently integrated much of the acquired store base under the Macy's nameplate.

  Aftermath

  The transaction substantially increased the company's scale and enabled a national Macy's footprint. Several acquired businesses were later divested or discontinued.

  Transaction value. Approximately $11 billion (2005 announced transaction)

  Source

1. 1Macy's, Inc. corporate history and operations referenceen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Macy's, Inc. 2007 Form 10-Ksec.gov
3. 3Bluemercury acquisition announcementmacysinc.com
4. 4Sharon Otterman CMO appointmentmacysinc.com
5. 5Macy's Gift Guide holiday campaignmacysinc.com
6. 6Macy's Media Network and The Trade Deskmacysinc.com
7. 7Terry J. Lundgren biographybusiness.columbia.edu
8. 8Federated emerges from bankruptcybritannica.com
9. 9Bluemercury Up Nextmacysinc.com