It might be hard to parse, but there’s a man carrying Macy’s “Everything Now 40% Off” sign. Macy’s is closing our downtown department store in the shadow of their headquarters just a few blocks north.
I feel like it’s a missed opportunity. It’s a lovely location in the heart of a city that continues to reinvent itself. With their headquarters so close, this could have been a place to experiment. To ask, what does the future of retail look like?
Is it about making somewhere comfortable to hang out and shop from your phone? To have a limited selection of items to understand fit, finish and materials? Is it a place to eat and drink? (I remember the cafeteria at McAlpin’s and Pogue’s fondly.) Heck, is it co-working?
I don’t know, I’m reaching. But I’m pretty sure shopping is not racks and racks of items. I’m just lamenting this location would be have been a great place to explore such questions.