/shrug. It's OK.

Since Macy's ate all the other comparable department stores, does anyone choose to go to Macy's, or does one just go because it's all there is? No competition in my neighborhood, or my previous neighborhood....

I have several Macy's stores near me. I used to love the old Macy's but for the past five years or so they have really gone downhill. The quality of the clothing is poor. My local store used to have a nice linens department and that is gone.

Now I buy makeup there (Clinique)and things like pantihose, socks, underwear, night gowns. I do not buy clothes, shoes or handbags there because of the lower quality.

I only shop at Macy's in Suburban Square (PA) because it is so close to my house and not in a mall.

Bring back the old Macy's!

It is the only place in town with a trendy petite department. I shop there. It's not great but I have to leave town otherwise. And by the way, it irks me to see women over 5'-3" shopping in the skimpy petite department! Go away! ;)

There used to be an independent store here with a decent petite area but they closed. They were also expensive and sometimes matronly.

I used to love Foley's and shopped there regularly. Once Macy's took over, well, Macy's ain't Foley's. The clothes are more expensive but not as attractive. After trying many times to find clothes I like there (like I used to be able to at Foley's) I've just about given up. I will go into Macy's once in a blue moon now, and every time I think, OK, WHY did I come here?? I've started shopping in smaller stores in strip centers nearer my house and have better luck at those places.

Like fori said, they've pretty much eliminated the competition as far as nice department stores go. Too bad. I miss Foley's!

Marshall Fields is now Macy's. I saw a pin the other day that said "Bring back Marshall Fields". I guess that says it all. I live two blocks walk from Macy's and I rarely go there. They have a Levinger's and I buy gifts there. All the stuff i used to buy is gone.There is very little that you would want. I go to Bloomindales, no matter how many coupons they offer.

Alice hates the Jr. department for the most part. Too bad they have good sales but the stuff is pretty tacky, I must agree. But we live in a small town and they must purchase for who shops in that store. The San Francisco Macy's is much more appealing and much larger. But I still couldn't find a pair of jeans that fit! I ended up at Norstrom. Love the service style there, too. There is no service at Macy's that I have noticed.

There was once a really good buyer for the plus size department here and everyone noticed. She was snapped up by another Macy's and given a better position.

I don't usually shop there for kitchen/housewares stuff or shoes. I do buy some Origins and Estee Lauder products. And bras. I used to buy my undies there but they stopped carrying the two styles in the one brand I like. I can't blame them really. The company stopped making the one style number.

"Bring back Marshall Fields"....that about sums it up for me too.

I really wanted to love Macy's. When they took over here in Northern Michigan, I had visions of a very different Macy's than what it is now. I remembered the NYC Macy's from years ago. Oh well, I can spend my money elsewhere, just not as convenient. I go to Younkers in Traverse City, which has a better variety of women's apparel than Macy's or I go to Dillard's when I visit my mother, who lives near Toledo.

Last week (the Tuesday before Thanksgiving) we spent over $2000.00 at Dillard's. The service was wonderful, the salesperson actually seemed to care and ran to different departments to match clothing items. We hit the shoe department and cosmetic's on the way out. Never even went out into the mall.

I sent Macy's corporate an email after an especially bad experience in the Traverse City store. The response I got said that the store manager would be contacting me. I had included my phone number, but that never happened. This was in the summer of '07.

Here's what I find wrong at Macy's:

~ poor selections, it's either high end or proprietary, little in brand name and the high end is mostly just a couple of manufacturers, the same you see everywhere. So if one has problems with the fit of Liz Claiborne or Ralph Lauren, you are hard pressed to find alternatives, not to mention styles and colors. No Pendleton, no Austin Reed, no Jones of NY or any of the many nice coordinates for the working gals.

~ customer service? Not at Macy's! If you happen to get lucky and want to make a purchase, you have to wander around to find a cashiers stand and then they wad that new purchase up and stuff it in a bag, can't even be bothered to fold anything.

~ stock? seems there is little done beyond dumping the goods on any available fixture. Sizes are all mixed, buttons undone, zippers unzipped, items half on the hangers, odd items mixed in with coordinates.

I usually check out the home departments also, but I find the selections limited and geared towards bridal registry, or so narrow that I prefer a specialty store.

FWIW....I've been in retail all my life. First as a salesperson at J L Hudson's, while in college. Then as a store manager and as a sales rep.
I realize I might be more aware of the industry than the average consumer but as I see it, Macy's has really gone downhill.

There are solutions and I hope this 'seeking information' is part of solving the problem that many retailers are experiencing. It's not just the economy that is hurting sales in general.

Nancy

Nancy beat me to many of my thoughts. I think Macy's would be well served to listen to the thoughts expressed on this forum. Is it so difficult to predict that some women would like to cover their arms and not wear sleeveless in January?
I used to love Broadway, Bullocks, May Co., Robinson's. Macy's took all those choices away. I don't buy many things at Macy's because the selection is limited, (well not really if you prefer strange colors and patterns) the choice of sizes (I think the purchasers only get one or maybe two of smaller sizes) and then there is the price (what can I say about jeans that start at 150 up) I get my NYDJ at Nordie's and love the salespeople and service. Just my thoughts.
Cbad

Barnmom I'm guilty of shopping in the petite dept. at 5'5". (Used to be 6"! Didn't realize I was going to shrink with age.) Anyway I discovered 7 or 8 years ago I could actually buy pants the right length in petites. I guess as the population gets taller, and it has, they have lengthened pant legs. A clerk suggested I look in petites. I said but I'm not short, but she was right. Since then I've often wondered about really short women.

I agree Macy's used to be a more upscale store. The choices are not as interesting as they used to be. However, they still seem to have good clearance sales in Jan. and that's when I actually buy. Sometimes in Aug. Are there still White Flower Days when they mark the clearance stuff an extra 50% off? Haven't seen one of those in awhile.

You may have noticed I'm not a full price shopper! I scour the clearance stuff everywhere. I buy things that work for me and hang on to them forever. And I don't really buy classics. I like things with a lot of style, but I don't want it to be trendy style. Used to love the original Carole Little line, still have lots of her things. I wore them till 2 years ago when I gained all this weight when I quit smoking. I keep hoping I'll get back into them, no one will realize they are 10 years old. Just change the accessories. Macy's doesn't carry anyone like that anymore.

I'll chime in. My Mom and I were both HUGE Hecht's fans. We could go in that store and pick stuff off the rack in our size and it fit every single time without even having to try it on. Excellent quality and good customer service. We so miss our Hecht's. Macy's took over and it is just not the same. I also am a petite person (a little over 5'0) and I can't find a darn thing to fit me there. My Mom is the opposite in being 5'10 and she has the same problem as me. I gave up shopping there and so has she because of that and the quality of the clothes. I'm fortunate that I live in an area with tons and tons of stores to choose from. Macy's is not on my HOT list to visit.

Recent Macy's comments on another forum:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/party/msg111841479457.html

I would rather shop online at Macys than go to their store. A company I'm involved in pays me back 4% of all my purchases. I like that!

HMMMM - I remember when it was Bambergers (LOL). I must say the last couple experiences that I had at the store were great. I found what I needed (even dress slacks that fit me nicely), there were some good sales, and the sales people were very nice and helpful (even in the shoe department). I guess I caught them on an off day. The dressing rooms could be spruced up and cleaned. I think the childrens clothes & jewlery is overpriced and I agree about the sleeveless dresses in the winter, but I think thats about par with most stores similar to Macy's.

Agree...Macy's has gone downhill. Here in the south Macy's is one step ahead of the Belk stores which are now scraping the bottom of the barrel. It seems as though all the department stores continue to carry cheap, ill fitting Chinese-made, teeny bopper clothes which are of no interest to the mature woman. Listen up, Macy's...there is a cadre of adult women out there with money looking for stylish, well made clothing. We want to buy American products and keep productivity, jobs and money at home.

I shopped at the Macy's free-standing store in Bedford, NH for a dozen years almost exclusively. I LOVED the free-standing nature, the selection, & the service. Even the majority of my home goods purchasing was at Macy's Bedford.

Then, we moved to Mystic, CT & I have to drive to the Macy's Waterford, CT store. It's a horrible place. I've been there twice...once because I was expecting it to be like Bedford & the second time because I figured no store could possibly be as bad as my first impression of the Waterford, CT store. I was wrong...my first impression was accurate.

The Waterford store looks like a flea market with dishevelved merchandise, stock carts blocking the aisles, & even saw down bed pillows laying on the floor. Service was abysmal with nobody in sight to answer a question or ring up a sale. I had to trudge to the newborn department dragging a full set of king-size bedding (sheets, bed skirt, comforter, duvet, shams, etc.) for check-out. Not good & I've never returned to the store (nor will I).

When we lived in Bedford, I was a career woman & my work wardrobe was almost exclusively Jones of NY separates. I'm an easy fit in a size 6 skirt; but either a size 10 or 12 jacket (my arms are so long they drag on the floor! lol). I liked the quality of Jones & the Bedford store always had a helpful salesperson available to assist me scurrying around looking for jackets that had long enough sleeves. In Waterford, I asked for assistance & the salesperson pointed across the store & told me to go look, "over there". Well, since I was standing barefoot in the dressing room & only partially dressed...instead of going, "over there", I just changed into my own clothes & headed to home goods (see above for how THAT turned out).

I've been so disgusted with the decline in service I really can't speak to selection issues since I've given up on Macy's with one exception. I still shop the flagship store in NYC about twice/year. Love that place! All 5 floors! Also, the Cellar Bar & Grille is pretty darn good for a department store restaurant...nice place for lunch & to rest your feet after walking miles through the store. :)

Tricia

I agree with Nancy, I want Marshall Field's back. I don't care much for Macy's, they have a couple of over priced and poorly fitting lines and I have to drive at least 50 miles to get to one anyway. Whatever happened to the nice knits, the comfortqble but business like attire? Now I get sleeveless, low cut, trendy, expensive and impossible. Sigh.

I did go to Macy's a couple of weeks ago, they have a TicketMaster outlet. The Macy's employee who was seling tickets couldn't find tickets, told me the wrong days, was generally unhelpful. Finally he did agree that there were tickets available for the food and wine show but not "on Saturday", only on Sunday. This was not an event with seating and they sold unlimited tickets good for any of the three days.

I finally gave up, went home, bought tickets on line from Ticketmaster and paid $14.95 to have them sent to me. I wrote a letter of complaint to both Macy's and TicketMaster, but I don't expect to hear from either of them.

Annie

It used to be a big deal for me to get a special occasion outfit from Macy's when I was in high school & college. I attended college in Manchester, NH and the Bedford store triciae referenced was where I shopped. It was always staffed by professional, helpful people and the clothing was more upscale than most local shops and always neatly displayed.

I currently live near the Newington Fox Run Mall where Macy's has taken over Filene's. I'm sorry to say I don't enjoy shopping there anymore. I'll echo what previous posters have said about most of the clothes - trendy, poorly made, inferior fabrics - and I'm not talking about the junior dept.

My daughter registered for a Martha Stewart dinnerware pattern for her June wedding. I don't know if it's being phased out already, but people have been looking to purchase additional pieces for her and there are rarely any items in stock.

I am constantly receiving flyers and other promotional materials with coupons for "One Day Sales." Most of the time the items I would hope to buy on sale are excluded from the coupon discount. I would rather see the money spent on all that hoopla put into hiring competent sales help who would man the registers and keep the place tidy.

Bottom line - The Macy's experience these days is no more special than shopping TJ Maxx or Marshall's.

Our Marshall-Fields was OK. It was even better when it was Hudsons (Detroit area). But Macy's turned most of the nice petite section in that store into more big ladies clothes. I mean, yeah, Americans are getting fatter but come on! We aren't getting taller!

Even the spiffy big Macy's in SF--while at least looking like a Macy's should--doesn't carry kid shoes.

I did get part of my Halloween costume at Macy's, if that tells you much about their clothing lines...

For the most part, I like Macys. The one in my city is small, but there are two not too far away (SF and Pleasanton) that are bigger and better.

I love that I rarely pay full price at Macys, between the sales and the coupons.

I'm a petite - and they have a larger petite department than most other stores.

Bonnie

I was just at our Macy's today. Terrible. It's a far cry from Hudson's or Marshall Fields. I couldn't agree more with everything Nancy said about Macy's.

Bonnie, you must be somewhere close to me. I'm in Modesto.

Eileen

Tamara, I grew up shopping at Marshall Fields flagship store on State Street in Chicago, so Macy's is an abomanation to me. They had the real Santa at Christmas time, and the store windows were a delight to see then. Service was personal and a day in the store was a small vacation.

Now I can walk into target or Carson Pririe Scott or kohls and see the same items. And forget sales help.

I no longer buy a higher ticket item there, I go else where. Macy's is for the clearance rack only, yellow dot at 70% or more off.

As a side note, my house was built in 1863 and I have the original deed, handwritten, complete with the "no red light" clause. The original owner of the property was Marshall Field. I am the fourth owner of the land and the house.

Bring back fields to State Street at least.

Peppi

I second what dixiedog_2007 said about Hechts -- They had normal clothes for normal people who could walk in and have good choices. Macy's didn't do any market research when they took over the many regional stores that made up May Company, and tried to Macy-ize all of us with designer and private labels that just aren't for "normal" people any more. ... The rest of the store isn't much better. Consider their use of stars -- Donald Trump, Martha Stewart, etc. -- to lure us in, not realizing that we don't care about stars, we want regular stuff in clothes, housewares, domestics, etc. Even if you travel, going shopping is less fun than it used to be because everything is the same all over. Macy's blew it, in my book.

I agree with "all of the above." But, sadly, those plaintive cries of "bring back the XYZ store" are useless, because most of those "acquired" stores no longer exist, except in our memories.

As others have said, many of us don't care about high fashion or designer labels; we just want clothing that we can wear to the office or to a meeting, feel comfortable in, and be confident that we look good. And some of us can't wear short skirts, so that eliminates 99% of the otherwise acceptable suits and coordinated sets. We're not teenagers looking for trendy, extreme, and seductive attire.

Back in ye olden days, if you needed, say, a skirt or a blouse, you could go into a department store and head for the "Separates" department. All the skirts were together, all the dressy blouses, all the sweaters and tops. Now, with different areas for every label, you have to search in a hundred different places. It is exhausting work to try to put an outfit together if you don't like (or fit) all components of the set from a particular manufacturer.

I don't mind that Macy's wants to appeal to the "fashion-forward" women, but how about some professional, tailored, and affordable clothes for the rest of us?

Sue

Hate it. I remember buying beautiful, well-priced suits there when I got my first "real" job back in the mid-80s. There may still be nice suits, but I can't going into the store because of the all the clutter. The whole coupon thing drives me crazy as well.

Those of you who are Marylanders, remember Woodward & Lothrop?

I recall the last time I shopped at Macy's was about 3 years ago because we were in San Francisco and Jim needed shoes; he had left his walking shoes AND dress shoes at home (and I let him pack for himself). Anyway, the Men's shop is better than anything else in the store, but I haven't been back since. He gets his Rockports at the Outlet store in Gilroy. There is a Macy's close by, it's just irrelevant and overpriced, at that.

I like Kipling bags, so I looked at them at Macy's and ordered one online (25% off, no tax, no shipping).

I agree that it is not the store that it used to be, not by a long stretch.

The Macy's near me quit carrying brands such as Style, Liz Claiborne, and Karen Scott because they are going more high end which makes me mad. This however is the direction that this mall is going. I feel that I should have as much choice as possible. Actually I don't find as much stuff at Macy's as I used to in terms of clothing. Most of my complaints apply to Nordstroms as well. The styles are all geared towards tall skinny people. I shop in petites and the choices are so limited although Macy's has a bigger petite dept than Nordstroms. Trying to find clothes for the elderly is next to impossible - can't find plain ol' cardigan sweaters or blouses unless they are stretchy or skinny or whatever. We only have Macy's, Nordstroms, and Penneys. Lately I find more things at Penneys than at the other stores and several of my friends have been saying the same thing. I ditto what mtnester complained about - the different areas for different labels instead of a section for tops/sweaters, another for pants, etc.. It is exhausting having to go to each section brand by brand just to find a sweater but I guess that forces the customer to see everything. Trying to find classic practical styles is not easy. I guess we're stuck shopping at Macy's since there isn't much choice around here as we've lost so many of our major dept stores over the years. The other complaint is about all the sales ads that come almost daily. You never know which sale is going on.

I'm another one who's very unhappy with their business model. I HATE the coupon thing, but they weren't the only ones who utilized them, but now it's to the point of craziness.
This is a timely question, just Sunday I had both an awful and a nice experience in our local store (Sherman Oaks--they carry most of the better lines--surrounding locations may not). One department had two women that were just rude. The dept was actually neat, but these two couldn't be bothered waiting on customers. Of course they had to argue about which sale coupons were valid and whether or not I was entitled to use one. In another dept I encountered an employee who cared and tried to set customers up with the best deals they could muster with the available coupons. So it takes all kinds...I did contact the store mgr directly and she listened carefully and assured me that she would be talking to these women right away about my specific transaction. I can't complain about her responsiveness.
I rarely buy anything at Macy's that's not on sale and I shop once a month or so, whenever I get desperate. Thank goodness for Nordie's, but even there, I'm a bit put out at some of the bizarre stuff that no one (nine west) should be wearing! Bloomies is an upscale Macy's, but its tragic that all the good stores were gobbled up by the Macy's behemoth.

The younger generation will never know what customer service is. Now you are lucky to find someone to take your money and even luckier if they get off their cell phones, make eye contact, never mind a thank you.

Where I shop, Bakersfield, we used to have Robinsons, May Co, Broadway, they all went away and now we just have Gottschalks and MacyÂs. I donÂt go often but as far as I can tell they have the same quality as PennyÂs just at higher prices.

I was in MacyÂs not long ago looking for a blouse nothing special just a nice blouse. After wondering around for 20 minutes I finally found a sales clerk and I ask where I could find the better blouses she just pointed across the store and left. I left shortly thereafter I figured they didnÂt want my business and could care less if I spent my money in their store or not.

My biggest pet peeve is sales, coupons, discount if you use a store credit card. I donÂt do store credit cards, I do cash, I donÂt want to plan my shopping around your sale day I donÂt ever know where to get coupons. Why should I have to pay more just because I use cash? How about just charging a fair price and having sales a few times a year. It worked that way for years. Sales were really sales now if you pay full price you feel like you have been taken because IT will be on sale tomorrow.

I hate Macy's. I hate department stores and I hate Macy's. The quality of goods, services and the physical store has gone downhill to the point I refuse to go there.

The racks of clothing are a mess - the sizes jumbled, the clothes packed so tightly that it's impossible to go through them to find a correct size. Many items are damaged from the haphazard hanging and crowding.

The clothing is lower and lower-quality.

The dressing rooms are unattended and dirty.

There are not enough staff on the floor - noone to be found to help you find something or to man the cash registers.

What staff there is is unprofessional and under-trained.

The last experience I had there was at the Estee Lauder counter, where I signed up for a Macy's card to pay for my purchase, so I could get a discount. The clerk signed me up for card-protection, which I told her I did not want. I didn't find out about the protection plan until I got my first bill. When I called to complain, I was told I could not cancel because it was past the cancellation period. I was furious and asked to speak to a manager. I was hung up on. I had to call back and yadda-yadda after about 20 minutes I got the plan cancelled, and the fee deducted.

I have not used the card or been back to Macy's.

Bottom line - The Macy's experience these days is no more special than shopping TJ Maxx or Marshall's.

Pretty much sums it up for me.

In addition to the other problems mentioned here (lower-quality products, messy dressing rooms, scarce sales help), my biggest compliant about Macy's is that it is so crowded! They cram as many racks and displays as they can onto the sales floor. I don't like feeling like I'm engulfed in clothing!

I much prefer Nordstrom where, in addition to quality goods and fab service, there is breathing room between the racks and displays. There is a lot to be said for open space.

I think Macy's is catering to a different market than Nordstrom, so maybe my comparison isn't fair. IMO, Macy's is definitely "down-market" from Nordstrom, and that is fine - we need stores serving all markets. However they have more in common with Kohl's than they do with Nordstrom, which is probably not a place they want to be.

I shop at Macy's maybe two or three times a year - and I live less than two miles from one. They are always a last resort.

Nicole

I think I've been in Macy's once or twice since it opened here in the Dallas area several years ago, but I'm a thrift store girl myself. If I absolutely HAVE to have something I can't find at the thrift store, such as the dress I wore to my son's wedding 3 years ago, I'll shop either Macy's or Dillards petite department. I might have bought the "wedding" dress at Macy's, but frankly, I don't remember.

It does seem a little bit less expensive than Dillards, but otherwise, no different.

Sally

Just read through these responses and noted how many people shop the "Petite" department. If these posts are representative of the general public, maybe dept. stores out to take that into consideration and expand, rather than eliminate them.

At 5'2" I take into account the cost and hassle of having my clothes altered. I would likely buy more if I could find well constructed garments that fit me properly.

After reading amck's post, I'll add a positive note: one thing I do like about Macy's is that they often have the same brands and outfits in both the regular department and the Petites, as I often have to shop in both places to find clothes that fit. I'm 5'5", but I guess my arms must be shorter than average. I may find a skirt in the regular dept and then get the corresponding jacket or sweater in the Petites dept. I also appreciate the brands that have pants labeled "proportioned short."

Sue

"From Goldgirl - Those of you who are Marylanders, remember Woodward & Lothrop?"

I'm not in MD but VA and Woodward & Lothrop was not just in Maryland. We always called it Woodies and we shopped there all the time. What a wonderful store and a very sad day when they ended. Absolutely beautiful store at Christmas time and talk about customer service! They treated you like gold in that store.

I mentioned this thread to my DH & he asked that I include his opinion of Macy's from the male perspective.

DH says the wonderful free-standing Macy's in Bedford, NH could always be relied upon for quality men's business suits. They also carried high-end silk ties that didn't fall apart after 3 weeks. He also purchased most of his casual wardrobe from that Macy's including some really nice sweaters that he stills wears today.

Now, he doesn't shop Macy's except when taking me to the NYC flagship. He purchases all of his business attire from Nordie's, downtown Providence, RI (including shoes). The sales staff at Nordie's are stable & he's had the same shoe salesman for over 5 years. For goodness sake, we get a Holiday card from the man every year. When DH walks into the department he's greeted by name. Now, we both realize that staff turnover does happen &, someday, DH is likely to go to Nordie's & find somebody new in the shoe department but it's the quality of personalized service that makes Nordie's the far superior shopping experience. Also, Nordie's has wonderful comfy leather chairs for me with a nice selection of magazines to read while I wait for DH to be fitted for a suit.

So, heads up Macy's...the men are not happy either.

/tricia

I "third" what was said about Hecht's. I loved Hecht's and just barely tolerate Macy's. I have gotten some things there that I either really liked or they were good end-of-season buys - but nothing like Hecht's - and those finds were few and far betwen. Macy's doesn't seem to have the selection - everything is either very trendy and geared toward younger women or very "blah" and matronly. Come to think of it, I also never find anything in their bath and bedding department, either.

We used to have Woodward and Lothrop here in D.C. and that was a good store. Well, OK, we used to have Garfinkels, too, and shopping there was a really special experience. We have Bloomingdale's, but it's about 25 miles from me and not worth the trip. Our Lord and Taylor store at my local mall is closing, so that just leaves Macy's, JCPenney, Nordstrom and Sears. I shop at Marshall's, TJ Maxx and Ross more often than at any of those stores.

Whats Macy's? (ducking and running for cover)

Haven't been in one for about five years. Why bother starting now.

I don't do much department store shopping; primarily when I do it's around the holidays. Given the choice of good prices, a mob scene and clothes strewn on the ground, or a few bucks more for an orderly, well-staffed store, I'll choose the latter.

Maybe if I was shopping for more people or money was a bit tighter I'd change my tune. But for now you won't read about me getting trampled to death on Black Friday.

As for quality, isn't the vast majority of their clothing name brand merchandise save for a small selection of their house brand? If so, are some of the above comments misdirected?

I definitey take note of their newspaper ads to see what sales are going on in housewares. I haven't been too impressed with "Tools of the Trade" but sometimes other good stuff is nicely reduced. You're less likely to find toasters and skillets strewn on the floor than sweaters, so that department I can deal with!

I haven't had luck finding anything I want at Macy's. I'll go in because it's there, but I buy more at Penney's. Occasionally I will find a shirt or two at Macy's, but it's not a favorite place to shop. I shopped there more when there was more competition. Now that the other department stores are gone, I tend to shop more at boutiques, or other locally owned stores.

Lars

Do you think that we are giving the OP the responses that they hoped to hear?

I LOVE MACYS!!! Im shocked at the responses. There is nothing like a day of shopping Macys Herald Square...everyone must experience it once in a lifetime. back in the day when a size 18 needed a dress for a special event and noone had these sizes (other than the Maude look)Macys never failed me classy sexy trendy dresses that fit and were made beautifully. Now I love that i can go to the regular sizes and I buy buy buy! Also a big fan of Nordstrom and Bloomingdales!

I like Macy's. I think it delivers good value for the money. I use my Macy's card to get coupon discounts without the coupons (hate them!) and shop online for kitchen gear and housewares that are not available in the stores. While salespeople are few and far between, they are courteous and very nice about processing returns.

I shop in Misses, Petites, Shoes, Lingerie, Housewares, Jewelry, Cosmetics, and Men's. Macy's is a better bet for what I need than the other department stores in town (Dillards, Nordstom, Saks 5th Avenue, Kohls). For my clothes, its primary competition is Talbots (which is my go-to store).

My two complaints with it are (a) the selection differs widely from store to store -- so I have to drive across town past my local Macy's to shop at the "better" location, and (b) the dressing rooms are unkempt and downright dirty.

Here in Fresno Macys is it. We're lucky in that it is one of the higher-end Macys and so our clothing, etc. is really good..... I think it's classified as a B store.

However, I have gone to other Macys that were soooo different that I could hardly tell I wasn't in some cut-rate department store..... so there are really BIG differences in their stores.