Commentary
A shopper's perspective on the Macy's closing
by Toni Randolph, Minnesota Public RadioToni Randolph is the editor for New Audiences for MPR News.
I'm a fan of downtown shopping. Don't get me wrong; I love mall and outlet shopping, too. But I grew up shopping in big, downtown department stores.
There always seemed to be something new, different, bigger or better at the downtown stores. At least, there used to be. But shopping has changed.
Maybe the change started 50-plus years ago, when Southdale Center opened in Edina as the first covered shopping center, starting a revolution of indoor shopping. But even mall shopping has changed in recent years. The Internet has made shopping so easy that I don't even have to leave home to get that little black dress.
I wasn't surprised by the announcement that Macy's is closing its downtown St. Paul store. It's not because I'm psychic or have been closely following retail news — although I was aware that Macy's contractual obligation to keep the store open had reached its end. It was really my experience as a shopper that told me Macy's would not be in St. Paul much longer.
As an avid shopper, I've watched stores close in several cities where I've lived. Often I would notice changes before there was any announcement about a closing. Stores didn't seem to have as much stock as in the past. They started to look a little empty, with more floor space than there used to be. It was all very subtle.
I've worked and shopped in downtown St. Paul since 2003. I shopped at Marshall Field's until 2006, when I noticed expanding floor space and dwindling stock. Then Macy's took over, and the stock appeared to grow again — though with fewer of the upscale items I'd found at Marshall Field's.
Then Macy's changed the layout of the store, putting dresses here and coats there and foundations in another place and the children's department somewhere else. The St. Paul store seemed to be the step-child, lacking the selection of name brands available at other Twin Cities Macy's.
Then, a couple of years ago, one of the cosmetics lines, Shiseido, disappeared from the St. Paul store. And while the cosmetics department was redesigned so that the extra counter space wasn't so obvious, I noticed, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. And recently there's been more empty floor space in cosmetics and jewelry, in hosiery and other departments, too.
I regularly cruised through the St. Paul Macy's and was surprised by how often departments were moved. I began to wonder if that was an attempt to confuse shoppers. Perhaps we wouldn't notice that there was less stock available if the departments were moved to a different floor or to a different part of the store? Or maybe the layout changes were designed to make or keep the store more interesting.
I don't know the rationale, but I know I'm sad to see Macy's closing. Despite the lack of upscale items and the limited stock overall, it was convenient — for me, anyway. I could run in and grab a last-minute gift, a new sweater or pantyhose in an emergency. I could also return something from one of my other shopping forays.
And I still want to try on my little black dresses before I buy them. I can't do that on the Internet, and soon I won't be able to do it in downtown St. Paul. As planners and developers and civic leaders consider what to do next, I hope they'll keep me and my shopping habit in mind.
Comments (6)
How awful!!!!
How dare Macy's close their doors in St. Paul just because the store is losing money, and leaving you without a place to buy "emergency" pantyhose.
Didn't they invite you to the boardroom to explain your predicament?
Maybe you could convince the State to buy and operate the store.
Afterall, government doesn't mind operating at a loss. That is what they do, and they do it very well. The State is expert at wasting money.
Then, the taxpayer can lose millions, just so you won't have to carry emergency underwear in your purse.
Apparently Ms. Blevin's completely missed the point of the commentary...wow. All Ms. Randolph was doing was lamenting that an icon of Downtown St. Paul will be no more, and that it saddens her. Just because someone wishes that things could be different doesn't mean they don't understand why they have to change. I grew up with Downtown St. Paul when it was pretty much akin to a shopping mall. Sure, I miss the way that it was, and wish downtown was different, but things change, and that's the way of life. No one is asking businesses to stay open when they're not profitable, or for the government to support things that don't make sense. But it's OK to express some emotion for what once was...
One less reason to downtown. One more reason to head for the MOA.
Just because Macy's failed to stay relevant to shoppers doesn't mean someone else won't find a way. Developers and leaders should keep the needs of the community in mind while they plan, so that Downtown St Paul can remain a vibrant community.
Thanks for the thoughtful reflection, Toni. For me it was an emergency pair of pants at that store on my way to a meeting at the MPR headquarters. And as Jamison said, Ms. Blevin sadly missed the point.
I know this story is about Macy's closing, but WHAT ABOUT GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION!?! For ONCE I'd like to get some societal recognition for all the work I do as a corporate exec, sick of reading all this drivel about the downfall of the economy, plight of the working poor, blah, blah, shut up, pass the beluga, and slash taxes now!
I worked in that store for a dozen years. I witness the change from Dayton's to Marshall Fields...to some upscale Target wanna be before I finally couldn't stand it any more. I was gone before they went to Macy's. (Full disclosure... I am New Yorker who grew up loving Macy's....IN New York.)
I worked in china, crystal, silver and table linen. We helped brides discover their personal style. We did divorced guy kitchens, downsized dining, impress the new in-laws table setting....all with a gentle, personal, experienced touch. We sold more Waterford than any other store and Jim O'Leary of that company loved us to pieces. We met people's needs and our dept was profitable...until they cookie-cuttered us. And then we became nothing special ...selling mass market. No flexibility. No personality. No business.
As a shopper and an employee, I loved the smallness of the place and the intimacy. I loved knowing my customers and my clients. I loved being "regular" even after I stopped working there. The last remnants finally vanished when the Macy's sign went up.
St. Paul lost more than just store. It lost a piece of itself the day the Dayton's sign came down.
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