Ten years with Macy's. I have more than 50 years experience in Retail Sales. Before Macy's I worked for 2 other major retailers.
It started off to be a great store and company to work for. However what I observed was too many changes done too quickly.
Long term associates start to leave, followed by the ones who were goal orientated. Regional people never really connected with the floor people. Macy's as a company hardly ever did either.
My theory is, if you don't listen to your people, you are going it with blindfolds on. Success starts at the bottom not the top. A company is only as successful as the people at the bottom who have the ability, experience and ambition to sell what they buy wholesale.
I could see this coming years ago. Being open extra hours and late at night and opening early doesn't drive sales. At Christmas we all have a budget and Macy's being open until midnight isn't going to change what a customer can spend. Let's be real here.
The demise of Macy's store closings was inevitable to me. Wanting to do too much too quickly was a mistake. Top that off with too many changes done too quickly sealed the deal. The $ were always first, then the customer and then the associates. Yes, I know $ make the profit for the company, and the customer is where the $ comes from, but the Associate's are the ones who make the customer spend those $. Remember us ? We worked for you and you hardly ever listened to us.
We had faith in you as there is nothing better than being part of a successful company. You let us down and now thousands will be out of work. That's not what I call Magic.