It hasn't been a slam dunk for Macy's to hang on to Marshall Fields' customers. According to Frank Guzzetta, chief executive officer at Macy's North, a division with 63 stores in the Midwest, acknowledged Tuesday that the chain has not done enough to explain the name change.
"We were a little bit egotistical," Guzzetta said. "We went into Macy's mode, when we should have been telling our customers what we're doing."
Marshall Field's has die-hard customers, many of whom are not happy with the name change. Now competitors are coming on strong, vying for the loyal Marshall Field's customer. This is good news for shoppers, not so good news for Macy's.
We love Macy's but we loved Marshall Field's, too. And like many other Chicagoans, we weren't in favor of the name change. That being said, Marshall Field's stores have been sadly neglected over the past decade as the stores passed from owner to owner. Macy's threw the chain a lifeline; the company is eager to bring the Marshall Field's stores back to their once glorious state.
We Marshall Field lovers have to get past the name change and start to shop the stores again -- if shoppers stay away because they're unhappy, the stores could close forever. And what would State Street in Chicago be without its flagship store? This big bump in the road for Macy's is proof that the customer is still king. Liken their troubles to how a big change could affect your own store. When change is not properly thought out and explained, even your most loyal customers will find another place to shop.
