Over the years Macy’s has kept up a reputation as one of the most innovative and up-to-date stores in the U.S. , largely by being the first store to try out any number of items and practices. In addition to being the first department store to institute holiday window displays and an in-store Santa, in the early part of the twentieth-century it boasted the world’s first modern escalators.[1] It was also the first to carry some of Thomas Edison’s inventions, the first to advertise the Polaroid camera, the first to sell Panasonic products in the U.S. , and when Prohibition ended it was the first to obtain the New York State liquor license and to resume liquor sales.[2]

In addition, the store was the first retailer to promote a woman (Margaret Gretchell, in 1866) to an executive position.

Many Macy’s employees were responsible for innovations as well. It was William Titon, a Macy’s wine and food buyer, who invented both the tea bag and the Idaho baked potato (in 1912 and 1926, respectively).[3] Macy’s merchants also introduced colored bath-towels and the popular board games Monopoly and Scrabble to the nation.[4]

During the Great Depression, Macy’s adjusted to the need for self-sufficiency and home-food production by selling livestock in its New York Herald Square store. In 1971, it introduced “The Cellar,” a basement-level food and produce department, which is now world-renowned for offering customers “everything from coffee to Cuisinarts.”[5]

Macy’s continues to be ahead of the game today, jumping on the Internet bandwagon in 1996 with ‘macys.com,’ and implementing a program in 1997 in which women could enter their physical characteristics into a computer to see images of what they would look like in bathing suits.[6]

Recently, Macy’s updated its traditional array of holiday windows by introducing several interactive window displays that offered passersby a look at the firm’s virtual catalog.[7] Passing window-shoppers press a button to see different parts of the catalog, with the average viewer looking for a period of about five seconds. Along with images, shoppers also hear about the different products they are viewing, including their locations in the store. Remarks Sam Joseph, visual director for the Herald Square store, “these are windows of the future and we are thrilled to be the first store in the world to feature them."[8]

Interestingly enough, despite being the first to introduce so many now standard products and practices, Macy’s was not the first department store to host a Thanksgiving Day Parade. In fact, the idea of a department-store parade originated in 1920 with Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia . Most Americans know Gimbels best for the New York store’s role as the opposing retailer in the film Miracle on 34 th Street . It would not be until four years later that Macy’s would follow Gimbels' lead. Obviously, though, it was Macy’s parade that really took off and outlasted its predecessor. Eventually, Macy’s emerged as victor in the long-standing retail rivalry; Gimbels shut its doors for good in 1987.[9]

Back to Top

_________________________
[Images]
Depression Era Santa image courtesy of: <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?pp/PPALL:@field(NUMBER+@band(fsa+8d23938))>
Gimbels Store image courtesy of: < http://www.newsday.com/features/custom/ithappened/newyork/ny-ihiny012803,0,1373131.htmlstory?coll=4thrail-bottom-promo> Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

_________________________
[Citations]
[1] Sara Cardace, "Macy's - A Herald Square Legend Since 1902." 23 December 2002. <http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/classicnewyork/macys/index.html> (6 December 2005).
[2] Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A. The Rain on Macy's Parade: How Greed, Ambition, and Folly Ruined America's Greatest Store. New York, Times Business, 1996. (6 December 2005).
[3] Macy's, "Macy's Company History," n.d. <<http://www1.macys.com/store/about/history/index.jsp> (6 December 2005).
[4] Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A. The Rain on Macy's Parade: How Greed, Ambition, and Folly Ruined America's Greatest Store. New York, Times Business, 1996. (6 December 2005).
[5] Macy's, "Macy's Company History," n.d. <<http://www1.macys.com/store/about/history/index.jsp> (6 December 2005).
[6] Macy's, "Macy's Company History," n.d. <http://www1.macys.com/store/about/history/index.jsp> (6 December 2005).
[7] Clinic Store Age, "Window-shopping becomes Interactive (Macy's interactive store window)," October 1997 v73 n10 p.158
[8] Clinic Store Age, "Window-shopping becomes Interactive (Macy's interactive store window)," October 1997 v73 n10 p.158
[9] Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, "Macy's," 27 November 2005. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macys> (6 Decemeber 2005).

Back to Top