Macy's to SJTC?

[thelakelander]

According to Karen Brune Mathis, the rumors are circulating again, this time like this: Macy's is looking at Jacksonville to develop a department store, rejected one site and has decided on St. Johns Town Center.

full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=539628

[fsujax]

As long as it is a grade A store and not a Gainesville, Daytona Beach or Tallahassee Macy's.

[Wacca Pilatka]

As long as it is a grade A store and not a Gainesville, Daytona Beach or Tallahassee Macy's.

A fine point.

Macy's has shifted from a upscale brand to an unpredictable brand, since so many stores of various customer bases were rebranded as Macy's a few years back.

If there is a Macy's in an upscale mall, chances are it will be a Macy's that resembles the store's long-standing reputation.  But there are plenty of other Macy's that are more downmarket, and/or trying to charge upscale store prices for mid-level goods.

[thelakelander]

As long as it is a grade A store and not a Gainesville, Daytona Beach or Tallahassee Macy's.

All of those stores were originally Maas Brother's and Burdine's.  They were simply rebranded over the years via various mergers.  If May would have held on to May-Cohens, most of our Belk's would be Macy's.

[KenFSU]

Macy's would be great if the market could support it, but with Nordstrom opening at the Town Center next year along with a whole new wing of retail and restaurants, you kind of have to wonder if all of these places are going to start cannibalizing each other eventually.

I wonder where the other proposed location was?

[JUGrad]

I wonder where the other proposed location was?

My only guess would've been The Avenues, although opening up at the Orange Park Mall would've been interesting.  The Dillard's and Belk at that mall are sub-par to put it nicely and I think Macy's would've done a great job providing what Dillards & Belk are lacking....

[fsujax]

Talk about a kick-start for Regency. Imagine a Macy's opening up in a completely redesigned Regency Mall. Just a thought.

[simms3]

There are maybe 5 Macy's that are truly a step up, though still not necessarily competitors of Nordstrom (Macy's Herald Square, Macy's Union Square NYC and SF, Macy's DT Chicago which was Marshall Field, and maybe a couple others).  These Macy's are more of a tourist attraction than anything.  Most upscale mall Macy's are basically like Dillards, and many if not most Macy's are complete crap and actually lower end than a good Dillards.

Dillards and Belk are strong brands, especially in the South.  Generally people have a pretty neutral opinion, if not negative opinion of Macy's.  It's nothing special.  In fact, as an out of towner...if I had to do some shopping while in Jax, I'd prefer to check out Dillards at SJTC, which is affordable yet offers quality and a clean and well put together store.  Macy's is a dime a dozen and usually crap and Nordstrom is not my store (been a Bloomingdale's loyalist member for almost 5 years now, was Macy's before that while I was younger and poorer...they DO have a great rewards program and interest free financing).

[Wacca Pilatka]

The downtown Philadelphia Macy's, formerly the flagship store for John Wanamaker, is a very nice one too.

[simms3]

^^^Yes, it is.  It's the 5th I was searching for I think - love the organ

[simms3]

And let's not mention that for people in cities with former iconic department stores, lots of people actually have some degree of spite for Macy's for taking away all the great stores like Wanamaker's and MArshall Field.

[ben says]

Macy's suck, but perception is everything. Lots of people I've encountered in the south still think Macy's is emblematic of "bright lights, big city", ergo, "they think Jacksonville should have one"...it's basically the north's version of a Belk.

[Wacca Pilatka]

And let's not mention that for people in cities with former iconic department stores, lots of people actually have some degree of spite for Macy's for taking away all the great stores like Wanamaker's and MArshall Field.

Yep.  That has been my perception with respect to Hecht's in DC too.  Hecht's wasn't DC's most spectacular store (comparable to Dillard's in my estimation - Woodward & Lothrop was nicer, and of course stores like Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdales that had DC area branches), but many seem to think its local stores have declined since the Macy's name replaced Hecht's.

I don't know Atlanta well, but I understand there was some resentment of Macy's for having replaced the Rich's name there too?

I think Ben Says is spot on about the perception vs. the reality of Macy's.

[fsujax]

I could care less if it opens here or not. Macy's is a huge step down from what Parisian was at the Avenues and Burdines wasn't that great either. Belk at the Avenues pretty much has every major name brand you could want, other than what they sell at NM. You are correct I was living in Atlanta when Macy's took over Richs and most  native Atlantians were not happy about it.

[I-10east]

There are maybe 5 Macy's that are truly a step up, though still not necessarily competitors of Nordstrom (Macy's Herald Square, Macy's Union Square NYC and SF, Macy's DT Chicago which was Marshall Field, and maybe a couple others).  These Macy's are more of a tourist attraction than anything.  Most upscale mall Macy's are basically like Dillards, and many if not most Macy's are complete crap and actually lower end than a good Dillards.

Dillards and Belk are strong brands, especially in the South.  Generally people have a pretty neutral opinion, if not negative opinion of Macy's.  It's nothing special.  In fact, as an out of towner...if I had to do some shopping while in Jax, I'd prefer to check out Dillards at SJTC, which is affordable yet offers quality and a clean and well put together store.  Macy's is a dime a dozen and usually crap and Nordstrom is not my store (been a Bloomingdale's loyalist member for almost 5 years now, was Macy's before that while I was younger and poorer...they DO have a great rewards program and interest free financing).

Well said, I totally agree.