The holiday season is just around the corner, and retailers
are gearing up to woo consumers during the busiest time of the
year. With the economy still not completely out of the
recessionary phase and consumer behavior still cautious,
retailers are using tactical strategies to keep themselves on the
growth trajectory.
Macy's Inc.
(
M
)
is doing exactly the same, to keep up in the race of the
'Survival of the Fittest', as it unveils its "millennial
strategy".
Macy's is all set to introduce 13 new brands and expand 11
brands that are part of its current portfolio. These brands will
be showcased at mstylelab stores, targeting customers in the age
bracket of 13 to 22, and Impulse departments, principally
catering to consumers in the age group of 19 to 30. The company's
"millennial strategy" aims at tapping the young demographics of
America, who are trendier and fashion oriented, and by the end of
2013, Macy's expects to attain a complete makeover.
The new brands in the pipeline are Marilyn Monroe, MADE
Fashion Week, Keds, Blossom & Clover, Truth or Dare, G-Star
Raw, Ambiguous, Ezekiel Clothing, COMUNE, DTA, Fatal Clothing,
Plan B and Argyleculture. The existing brands to be enhanced
include RACHEL Rachel Roy, else, kensie, DV by Dolce Vita,
Material Girl, American Rag, Inglot Cosmetics, Smashbox
Cosmetics, Kipling, Steve Madden Handbags and Stussy.
Earlier, Macy's entered into a venture with the premium
athletic shoes, apparel and accessories retailer,
The Finish Line Inc.
(
FINL
).Finish Line, which will become an exclusive athletic footwear
partner of Macy's, will operate through the latter's 450 plus
locations as leased departments against a licensing fee, with
rollout commencing in Spring 2013 and to be finished by Fall
2014. Additionally, Finish Line would manage Macy's footwear
collections and stock across 225 outlets starting in Spring
2013.
With store traffic expected to increase on the back of
regained consumer confidence and the initiatives undertaken,
Macy's is on a seasonal hiring spree. The Cincinnati-based
company earlier hinted at deploying approximately 80,000 seasonal
staff for its Macy's and Bloomingdale's outlets, call centers,
distribution centers and online fulfillment centers, portraying a
2.5% rise from the last year, when the retailer appointed about
78,000 associates.
It seems that Macy's is efficiently doing its homework and
intends to leave no stone unturned to have a greater share of the
pie in the upcoming holiday season.
Currently, we have a long-term "Neutral" recommendation on the
stock. However, Macy's, which competes with
Dillard's Inc.
(
DDS
) and
Saks Incorporated
(
SKS
), holds a Zacks #2 Rank that translates into a short-term "Buy"
rating, and well defines its relentless endeavors to combat an
economy that still lacks luster.
DILLARDS INC-A (DDS): Free Stock Analysis
Report
FINISH LINE-CLA (FINL): Free Stock Analysis
Report
MACYS INC (M): Free Stock Analysis Report
SAKS INC (SKS): Free Stock Analysis Report
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