Macy’s adds Backstage locations
The first of Macy’s new off price Backstage stores aren’t due to open until this fall, but already the retailer is adding more locations for an off price format heralded as a key growth initiative.
The nation’s largest department store retailer created a stir earlier this year when it disclosed plans to open its first four Backstage stores in the greater New York area. The two additional locations are also in close proximity to New York. The stores are about 30,000-sq.-ft. and are staffed by 30 to 45 employees.
The new locations at 400 East Fordham Road in The Bronx and Essex Green Shopping Center in West Orange, NJ, join previously disclosed locations at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, Queens Place in Elmhurst, NY, Lake Success Shopping Center in New Hyde Park, NY and Melville Mall in Huntington, NY.
The Essex Green location is noteworthy because an existing Macy's store will be converted to Macy's Backstage after a final clearance sales beginning June 14 is concluded in late July or early August. Macy's Backstage will offer pretty much all of the product categories found in a conventional Macy’s, including women's, men's and children's apparel, shoes, fashion accessories, housewares, home textiles, intimate apparel and jewelry. Merchandise will include clearance goods from Macy's stores, as well as special buys from well-recognized fashion brands.
"We continue to be very excited about the coming of Macy's Backstage. Feedback we have heard from shoppers since the initial public announcement of our first four pilot locations has been enthusiastic, and our team looks forward to bringing this fresh new retail concept to life," said Peter Sachse, Macy's chief innovation and business development officer. "These two new locations will enhance our opportunity to learn from the pilot stores. At Essex Green, we will begin to understand the dynamics of converting an existing Macy's store to Backstage. At Fordham Place, we will be part of an iconic urban retail center in a densely populated community. As is Macy's practice, we will test and learn to see what resonates most with customers so we can adjust our strategies before rolling out additional locations."