Tag Archives: Macy’s

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade gets pushback from ‘One Million Moms’ after news it’s turning into “non-binary and transgender extravaganza”

Macys-Thanksgiving-Parade

Important Takeaways:

  • ‘One Million Moms’ to Boycott Macy’s for Transgendered Thanksgiving Parade
  • One Million Moms is petitioning against the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for turning the event into a “non-binary and transgender extravaganza”.
  • The petition, which had gathered over 32,000 signatures at the time of publication, complains the parade is no longer family-friendly, with performers including the likes of non-binary cross-dresser Alex Newell.
  • “It is clear that Macy’s does not have our children’s best interests in mind,” One Million Moms states, adding that the corporation “needs to know that trust must be earned, and once trust is lost, it is difficult to get back.”
  • The statement petitioners are putting their name to explains they “do not agree with the LGBTQ agenda [Macy’s] are pushing on families,” and that “[s]ince this event goes against our beliefs and values, Macy’s has left conservative and Christian families with no choice but to avoid the parade and its store” during the holiday season.

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Macy’s and Costco say consumers lack of spending could be a red flag for the economy

Revelations 13:16-18 “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Macy’s and Costco sound a warning about the economy
  • Macy’s, Costco and other big chains say shoppers are pulling back at their stores and changing what they buy. That could be a red flag for the US economy.
  • Macy’s (M) on Thursday cut its annual profit and sales forecast after customer demand slowed.
  • “The US consumer, particularly at Macy’s, pulled back more than we anticipated,” Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette said on an earnings call Thursday. Customers “reallocated” spending to food, essentials and services, he said.
  • Macy’s and Costco appeal to middle- and higher-income shoppers, and their results show a pullback among that demographic.
  • Dollar General (DG) said its core lower-income customers were passing up discretionary products like home goods and clothing.
  • The company slashed its outlook on weak customer demand, sending its stock falling 20% during early trading Thursday.
  • Beauty retailers have also seen strong sales as shoppers spend on smaller indulgences like makeup and lipstick.

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More stores plan to close this year

Stores Closing

Revelations 18:23:’For the merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.’

Important Takeaways:

  • More than 800 stores are closing across the US in 2023. Here’s the full list.
  • More than a dozen major retailers are expected to close at least 800 US stores in 2023.
  • Macy’s, Walmart, and Big Lots are among the chains shutting down stores.
  • Bed Bath & Beyond is planning to close 416 locations — the most of any retailers on the list.
  • Leading the list is housewares giant Bed Bath & Beyond, which once owned more than 1,500 stores across three brands, but is now aiming to end the year with just 480 locations across two brands.
  • Tuesday Morning: 265 stores
  • Gap and Banana Republic: up to 74 stores

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Macy’s closes more stores this year in another round to stay afloat

Revelations 18:23:’For the merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.’

Important Takeaways:

  • Macy’s to permanently close Its Stores
  • Macy’s will be permanently shuttering several stores in 2023 as part of its Polaris transformation strategy which aims to optimize and reposition its mall and off-mall locations. The first batch of closures will take place in Los Angeles, Colorado, Maryland, and Hawaii. A clearance sale, which will run for approximately eight to 12 weeks, is set to begin this January
  • In February 2020, the department store chain, which includes Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury, announced its intention to shutter a fifth of its locations (or 125 stores) as part of a three-year plan. This was followed by several rounds of closures from 2020 to 2022.
  • Managing Director of Global Data, Neil Saunders, addressed the Macy’s store closures… much of the “dead wood” has been cut out. “What we are seeing now is more an opportunistic and gentle pruning,” he explained. He added that more shuttering is likely to follow as the retailer has many sub-optimal stores that will probably perform poorly in the struggling economy.

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Pandemic takes center stage in holiday shopping ad campaigns

By Sheila Dang

(Reuters) – After spending the summer convincing consumers to take socially distanced breaks from grim reality, advertisers are now returning to the pandemic as the central focus in holiday shopping campaigns launching this month.

U.S. companies from carmakers to retailers are under pressure to make the shopping season a success after retail sales crashed 21% earlier this year as millions of Americans lost jobs and cut their budgets. They face the challenge of convincing consumers to open their wallets for the holidays even as the coronavirus pandemic rages anew across the United States and Europe.

As new campaigns roll out, brands feel it is their responsibility to inspire optimism for the coming year, but also empathize with “the hurt that people have,” said Jason Schragger, chief creative officer at ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi.

Carmaker Lexus’ iconic “December to Remember” campaign, which features cars wrapped in giant red bows on picturesque snowy driveways, will focus on the different role that driveways have played this year, as people sought ways to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones despite stay-at-home orders.

New TV commercials launching on Monday feature family and friends doing a drive-by graduation party in their Lexus vehicles as a student in a cap and gown waves from her driveway. In another, a man greets his children and grandkids from a distance as they drive by, waving a homemade “Happy Birthday, Grandpa” sign.

“We wanted to make sure we weren’t showing large gatherings of people,” said Lisa Materazzo, vice president of marketing at Lexus, owned by Toyota Motor Corp. “But it’s nice to have a live interaction, and that can happen when you’re safe in the car and waving from the driveway.”

Staying connected during the pandemic is the message behind ads for the department store Macy’s, whose window displays and Santa land attraction have been hallmarks of the holidays since the late 19th century.

At a time when flying home or hosting big family gatherings can be dangerous, Macy’s Inc is focusing on how finding and giving the perfect gift plays an even bigger role in connecting with people you can not see in person this year, according to Macy’s chief customer officer Rich Lennox.

A similar theme underpins Etsy’s commercial, in which a woman who longs to see her grandson opens a gift of a handmade doll that matches a picture he had drawn.

“You’re supposed to hug it when you can’t see us,” her grandson said over a video call while holding up the drawing.

PANDEMIC ADJUSTMENTS

Apparel retailer H&M has taken the pandemic-themed ad campaign a step further by changing how commercials are produced in keeping with the times.

The company will lean on influencers working from home to create content, and plans to provide them with outfits and holiday prop kits so they can take festive photos on their own, said Mario Moreno, H&M USA’s head of marketing.

Toy maker Mattel, which has targeted young fans directly on kids’ TV shows, is directing some marketing messages to parents this season.

The owner of the Barbie and Fisher-Price brands will craft digital and social media ads that address the struggle parents have with keeping their kids entertained and engaged after months of schooling from home, said Jason Horowitz, senior vice president of U.S. marketing at Mattel.

The ads will focus on gifts that can offer hours of playtime and mental stimulation while cooped up inside, such as a Thomas & Friends toy that lets kids make-believe that they are taking a trip from their living room, he said.

Expect optimism with a dose of reality at this dark time, ad executives said.

“There’s a lot of 2020 we want to leave behind,” Materazzo said. “But there are nuggets worth celebrating.”

(Reporting by Sheila Dang; Editing by Kenneth Li and Daniel Wallis)

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to be reduced to television-only event

(Reuters) – Macy’s iconic Thanksgiving Day Parade will shift to a television-only special presentation, the company and the City of New York said on Monday.

The department store chain said staging for the parade’s elements would focus solely around the Herald Square area of Midtown Manhattan and would not use the traditional 2.5-mile parade route.

(Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)