Macy's, tinkering with shopper experience, launches Story concept at stores in NJ and NY

Two Macy's department stores in North Jersey and one in Westchester County now feature the chain's new in-house shop called Story, as the retail giant tinkers with ways to lure shoppers to its stores.

The 1,500-square-foot Story shops will be housed within existing Macy's department stores, and will offer shoppers a narrative-driven retail experience, where products and programs are selected around an editorial theme that changes every few months. The store's inaugural theme, "Color," will run through June 26.

Macy's is hoping that Story will provide consumers a new reason to come to its stores, as legacy retailers struggle to attract shoppers who have been lured away by online shopping.  Since the Story stores' products are not accessible on the Macy's website, the only way to truly experience the concept is in person.

“The discovery-led, narrative experience of Story gives new customers a fresh reason to visit our stores and gives the current Macy’s customer even more reason to come back again and again throughout the year,” said Jeff Gennette, Macy’s chairman & chief executive, in a statement announcing the roll-out.

Macy's has launched Story across 36 of its department stores nationwide.

In New Jersey, Macy's department stores in Bridgewater Commons, Freehold Raceway Mall, the Mall at Short Hills in Millburn, and Willowbrook Mall in Wayne will feature the shops. The Macy's at Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers, New York, will also feature the new concept.

Macy's has partnered with high-profile companies — MAC Cosmetics, Crayola, Levi's Kids — and an estimated 70 small businesses for Story's "Color" theme. With these partnerships, the company will offer exclusive products that will only be sold within the confines of the Story shops. There will also be events inside the spaces, which will be listed on the Macy's website.

The Story inside Willowbrook Mall is located on Macy's first level, tucked beneath the escalators and near the shoe department. The shop is inviting, although the average consumer may see it as just another colorful display inside the store. The products are divvied up by colors, and there is a sit-down area for immersive programs, like MAC's "Make Your Own" palette station.

Although Story is a relatively new concept for the department store chain, the retailer has dabbled with the "store within a store" model before. In 2016, the company unveiled a branch of its outlet division called Macy's Backstage, to offer an off-price version of itself to compete with discount retailers like T.J. Maxx and companies like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, which offer off-price versions of themselves through Nordstrom Rack and Last Call.

There are 25 Backstage stores at Macy's locations in New Jersey and New York, according to the company's website, although few stores offer both Story and Backstage.

The Macy's at Willowbrook Mall has both a Story and Backstage shop. The Macy's Backstage at the mall is located on the second level and is significantly larger than Story. The section is much more pronounced, and offers a mix of discounts clothes and home decor goods — similar to a T.J. Maxx, Home Goods, or Marshalls store. 

The store-within-a-store model is part of Macy's strategy to remain relevant. Historically, legacy retailers like Macy's were successful with their vast floor space. But, as consumers' habits changed, retail companies found themselves with too much real estate. In November, Gennette told The Wall Street Journal that Macy's had plans to shrink four of its locations as an experiment to save money on staffing and inventory.

Constant change

Last May, Macy's acquired Story and named its founder and chief executive, Rachel Shechtman, as Macy's newest brand experience officer. Her focus, the company said, would be to enhance the retailer's in-store customer experience.

Shechtman founded Story in 2011 with an idea to make shopping about more than just buying things, according to Macy's website. Unlike most stores, Story changes every few months, based on a new editorial theme. The store's curated merchandise, design and events are based on that moment's theme — for example, a wellness theme could result in a yoga class being scheduled in the store, and a shopper may then purchase a reusable water bottle at the shop that was hand-picked from a local business.

Since Story was founded in 2011, the store's theme has changed more than 40 times, according to Macy's website. Past themes included Remember When, Wellness, and Home for the Holidays.

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Story will take up a collective 55,000-square-feet of retail space at Macy's. The largest Story, totaling 7,500-square-feet, is located inside Macy's flagship Herald Square store. The expanded space offers shoppers an Instagram-able experience, with photo opps documented through #STORYatMacys.

“The Story at Macy’s experience feels a lot like a real life version of scrolling through Instagram," Shechtman said in a statement. "We aspire to create that feeling with the breadth of the narrative-driven merchandise edit we are bringing to life with the launch of STORY at Macy’s across the country."

To prepare for the concept's roll-out, Macy's hired and trained more than 270 new managers and sales associates, who the company calls storytellers. About 50 percent of those hires were from outside the company, a company spokesperson said. All new employees were trained in an experiential retail training program — pointing to a larger, industry-wide push as struggling retailers invest heavily to create in-store experiences for shoppers.

On June 26, when Story's inaugural theme expires, the shops are expected to close for a few days as a new theme is installed, a company spokesperson said. The new theme will be announced just before "Color" runs out.

Story at Macy's in New Jersey and New York:

Macy’s Bridgewater – Bridgewater Township, NJ
Macy’s Freehold – Freehold Township, NJ
Macy’s Short Hills – Short Hills, NJ
Macy’s Willowbrook – Wayne, NJ
Macy’s Brooklyn – Brooklyn, NY
Macy’s Roosevelt Field – Long Island, NY
Macy’s Herald Square – New York, NY
Macy’s Queens Center – Queens, NY
Macy’s Cross County – Yonkers, NY