Macy’s in deal to develop TV series about women who shaped department stores
Macy’s is expanding its presence in television via a deal to adapt a best-selling novel about retail into a scripted series.
In what it described as a “competitive bidding situation,” the department store giant has acquired an exclusive option to develop a fictionalized television series based on the bestselling book “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion” by award-winning author and journalist Julie Satow. Under the deal, which was led by Macy’s chief marketing officer Sharon Otterman, the retailer is currently in the process of securing a showrunner and attaching talent for the lead roles.
The book celebrates the women who built and shaped some of the most iconic department stores in America, from Dorothy Shaver at Lord & Taylor to Hortense Odlum at Bonwit Teller and Geraldine Stutz at Henri Bendel.
“Long before women had a seat at the corporate table, these trailblazers transformed retail, redefining the way fashion was sold, marketed and experienced,” said Macy’s in a press release. "Their innovations laid the foundation for modern shopping culture and challenged the limits of what women could achieve in business.”
Margaret Getchell, the executive who transformed Macy’s in the 19th century, will be added to the adapted story
“These are stories of resilience, ambition and creativity — women who understood the power of storytelling and branding long before it was a business strategy,” said Otterman.
In February, Macy’s signed a new rights deal with NBCUniversal for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo. The 10-year agreement also includes broadcast and streaming rights to a Macy’s Parade-eve special and a new special program to be announced at a later date.
In 2024, the 98th Macy’s Parade reached 31.7 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, an 11% increase from 2023, making it the most watched parade of all time, the #1 program in the holiday season and the largest entertainment special since 2020, according to the retailer.
