Is Chicago supposed to feel honored that an ambitious Macy’s New York executive is moving here (supposedly trading in his Giants hat for a Bears hat — such loyalty!) in the hopes of performing some kind of magical damage control over Macy’s failed experiment (“Macy’s vet to oversee region,” April 30, Business)? I don’t think so! There will never be a “My Macy’s” in Chicago, but there will always be a “My Marshall Field’s.”
Terry Lundgren, Macy’s overpaid, underperforming CEO, keeps sending in more troops, hoping for a “surge” in sales. Results are about as impressive as a similar plan with a certain war in Iraq. Both takeover plans were ridiculous from the beginning. A prima facie case can be made that both campaigns were ridiculous from the get-go (based on inaccurate fact-gathering) and now look even more ridiculous.
Before Macy’s took over Marshall Field’s, more than 50,000 people signed a petition to keep the name of Marshall Field’s, but the powers that be in New York decided we needed to be one Macy’s under Lundgren, with liberty and justice for no one (not employees, not loyal customers, not Chicago’s historic legacy, not tourism, and I could go on and on.)
The man who is making $14 million a year (plus “perks”) wanted one national brand, the new sensation across the land. Now that sales and stock prices have plummeted, and there has been downsizing after downsizing, they’ve come up with a new strategy: localization! It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
We still want our Marshall Field’s back and we will settle for no less. “My Macy’s”? What a joke! Give me back “My Marshall Field’s,” please.
