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Category: Department Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: The LoopLake (Red)
Washington (Blue, Red)
Randolph/Wabash (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
Mon-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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Call me a traitor, but I have almost completely changed my opinion of this Macy's because I found the designer floor. The difference between the designer floor and the juniors department is insanely night and day.
In the juniors department, the fitting rooms are all about the lose adhesive tiles, flickering florescent lights and bathroom type doors with slats and busted locks. The salespeople are still generally resistant to help and are slow to even ring up purchases. The floor smells musty and the clothing racks are packed so tight together that I feel like a giant shouldering through them and almost knocking down the clothing off their brittle plastic hangers.
However, when you get to find the BCBG and the Trina Turk lines, it's a completely different store just by going to a different floor. The salespeople smile and help and offer to find sizes. The clothing is well organized and the floor of marble tiles shine and sparkle. They carry the latest sheath dresses, sleek coats and dress pants and modern suits. The fittings rooms--I could live in! Well lit (but not too lit, aka, cellulite revealing!), plush settees, white soft carpet and enough hooks for all the dresses you bring to try in! Also, despite some of the slightly higher end clothes, there are occasionally really great deals which makes it a lot easier on the wallet.
There IS a section of the really upscale fashion that I accidentally walked into and felt like I had to tiptoe out. It feels like a vault and there are one size of each style out at a time. The sales people are more like consultants--they have a desk to sit at. I tried to check out their sales rack and from afar, the 75% off signs were really tempting, but when you get in close and 75% off means a vest is ONLY $939.99, we're still in a different ballgame.
I DO miss Marshall Fields because I have so many fond memories of pressing my nose up against their holiday window displays as a toddler with one parents' hand in one of my mittened paws and a bag of Garrett's popcorn in the other. I still can't bear to give Macy's a fifth star, but it's getting pretty close to it!
This place is due for a makeover both in appearance and customer service. It feels like I'm in any… Read more »
This review pertains to the NARS cosmetic counter ONLY!
I purchased a foundation from Nars barely about a week ago. At the time of my purchase, the sales lady appeared to be kind and helpful just like every cosmetic sales person you come across at department stores--pushing other products in your face, fluff you up, and make you feel so goddamn beautiful. Yeah, she was good at it. I walked out with a $42 bottle of sheer foundation only to find out later that it did not match my skin color (even though they tested it on my skin on the spot) and made my skin break out.
I went in this week--only one week later--to return the product and gave them my exact reason. The lady asked if I used any of it, and I was honest and told her that it was only a dab that came out until I found out that I had an allergic reaction to it. She said that I was unable to return it for a full refund and that I would have to exchange it for something from NARS that is of equal value or greater. At that point, I was just uber confused. I had read the back of the receipt that said that if you're not satisfied with your purchase, Macy's is kind enough to accept returns within 180 days with the receipt and the sticker label that has the bar code on it. I had all of those. I ended up walking away that day without returning it, and considered going to a different Macy's that could potentially be more helpful since this one was not.
TODAY, I stopped by Nars at Macy's again. However, I made sure to do my research before going in about the return policy. Their policy online has exceptions that include bridal dresses, food/beverages/holiday gift items, CD's, and restrictions on furniture, but nowhere did it say anything exceptions about cosmetics. I even called the store to ask about their return policy, and the kind lady in cosmetics on the other end said to just come right in and I should have no problem returning it. If I did, she said to ask for a manager. I finally went in, saw the same bitch who sold me the foundation, and told her that I had called the store earlier to ask about the return policy on makeup, and the person that I talked to said that it was fine. The person who sold it to me kept asking who I talked to and insisted that I still could not do it due to the fact that they cannot resell the item once it's opened. DUH!!! I just think that she was more afraid about losing her commission or something dumb along those lines. And you know what, she just lost me as a customer....FOR GOOD! The evil lady took my receipt to the back where she claimed to have met with her manager who was apparently on lunch break, came back, and made me feel like shit and made herself seem like a hero in the situation. This is what she said:
"I spoke to the manager, and she said that the best we can do is issue you store credit".
So I asked her if she could go grab that imaginary manager that she spoke to. The lady said that they're all on lunch, and I would be interrupting them for this question that she had already asked for me, and that they would not be happy about it. Hey Macy's, I'm glad customers come first for you!!! Worst customer service I have ever encountered in my life. She basically said that I should be glad that they're giving me store credit which they never do, and made me guilty for wanting to talk to the manager who was on lunch as I would be "interrupting". I thanked her for her lack of help, felt like shit, and ended up asking the generous sales at Bobbi Brown. I explained him my situation, and he basically took the receipt and product right out of my hand, and processed my return almost immediately as if it wasn't a big deal at all. He told me, "That's her loss". Gosh, I don't know what I'd do without his help; he truly brightened my day.
So yeah, I will probably go back sometime this week to go get that lady's name who sold me the product, and tell her that I returned it successfully to someone who was kind enough to help at another counter. I will probably talk to her manager too about the "interruption" that I made with my question.
Every other counter was nothing but helpful. NARS, even though I heart your products like no other, I have the worst impression from that particular transaction, and I will honestly say that I'm never going back to that particular counter every again.
YOU SUCK, NARS!
I know a lot of people were upset that Marshall Field's became Macy's, but at least the building is still beautiful. I love walking in and looking up. It reminds me of the Macy's in Philadelphia.
The best thing about this Macy's is the food court on the bottom level and Seven on State, the upscale food court on the 7th floor. Definitely worth a visit just for lunch, even if you don't buy a thing in the store.
Not too long ago this place was known as Marshall Field's, but long ago this place WAS Marshall Field's.
When I was a kid Marshall Field's was home to the holy grail of Santa's. Getting dressed up and going down to get my picture with Santa was a HUGE deal. I wouldn't even fuss when putting on those cute, but godawful, falling down in the crotch, non-stretchy cable knit tights my mom loved. That says alot since putting them on me for any other occassion elicited whining and crying, usually from both of us.
We made a whole day out of it. First, we'd visit the windows, themed differently each year, and despite being rather low-tech were awe-inspiring to me. Then we'd see Santa, and afterward stop on one of the higher floors to catch a view of the huge tree in the Walnut Room. Usually, my dad and I would sneak off to get a Chirstmas present for my mom too before capping the day off with dinner. Those were the days ::le sigh::
Even before the name change Field's lost a lot of its luster. My mom has a group of friend's who religiously worked as seasonal employees at Field's. In the last few years the members of their little Field's crew has shrunk, leaving them bitter and longing for the good old days of Field's past.
I've only ventured into its current incarnation, Macy's, a handful of times since the changeover, usually out of necessity as opposed to curiosty. With each visit I've noticed two things. First, the store is a relative ghost town; I half expected to see a tumbleweed blow past me in Fine China. Second, it's lost that special, magical feeling and it's not just because economic times are grim.
Today, I popped in to pick up a few registry gifts. After rooting around in table linens for a while I gave up and looked for assistance. Immediately I was frustrated when I had trouble finding someone to help me. When I did manage to locate someone she was covering nearly the entire floor and sent me back to Table Linens on my own, grrrr! When she was able to give me face-to-face attention she was nice, apologetic and helpful, but definitely spread too thin. She didn't even have time to box my purchase so I had to traipse over to Gift Wrap and get it myself.
Marshall Field's, Macy's, whatever you want to call yourself; you've lost that loving feeling. Nowadays you're kind of like Sears with higher end goods. Great sales alone won't win customers back, at least not loyal ones; bring back that special feeling and then we can talk.
TIP: If you print out a registry online note 2 things: (1) the prices may be lower online than in-store, but they'll usually honor them and (2) there are no SKU numbers on the printout so make sure the description matches exactly.
P.S. Putting Christmas goods out in September?! WTF!!
The Bridal Salon - The 3 stars is based more on my second experience versus the first. The first time I went to Macys I had a positive experience, was I blown away no. The sales woman was helpful brought out 5-6 dresses and none of them were it. They have this grand selection and it was a bit more okay than grand, but in their defense I didn't give her specific designers I was interested in I just gave her the style I was interested in - natural waist, A-line. The specific designers came after countless searches online.
Second experience - horrid! I was stuck with someone new that was a little flustered, not so helpful and unfamiliar with the product. I flat out said to the woman, I have been going to all these stores, took a break because I was burnt out and now I am in the pickle of really needing to order my dress within the next 2 weeks - I AM MOTIVATED!
I came with a list with designer names and style numbers, pointless! Lizzie's response "did you let them know in advance that you had specific dresses you wanted to see?" (very accusatory)
I was 20mins early to my appointment and handed the front desk person my list - is it my fault no one said maybe we should get started on this....I waited happily plus another 10mins because she wasn't ready for me....BTW I did call two days before my appointment and asked whether or not they carried a specific Romona Keveza dress and no one called me back. So I brought the list to the store.
The list had maybe 8 dresses on it - Keveza, Lazaro & Weschler. They showed me 3 of the 8 dresses on the list. 2 of the dresses, a different sales person swore the style numbers were inaccurate... condescending tone"are you sure you went onto the right website? http://romonakeveza.com?"
Are you kidding me!!! How is it that the 2 Romona dresses you did find from my list were her style numbers?! Okay getting a little fired up and reliving the experience.
They are getting 3 stars versus 2 because they carry Romona & Lazaro, but I recommend knowing more than a general style of dress AND if you get stuck with the wrong person - tell them you want to stop the appointment and reschedule with someone else. If the salesperson is rubbing you the wrong way - you probably won't find the dress even if it is "the"dress.
Macy's Bridal experience was nice but does not have a bigger selection for plus-size (14/16) and do not have a bigger selection for dresses under 1,500. Sonria was very nice but you can only sell what you have.
The manager was nice too.
I met up with my aunt and cousin to try on dresses for her upcoming wedding. We had an excellent time and the staff that helped us was extremely knowledgeable and a lot of fun. However I don't know how many more dress trips I can go on with my cousin since she always asks if the dress makes her hips look big. The girl was a ballet dancer. I think that she could look good in a paper sack from Trader Joes. As someone who has always struggled with weight, skinny bitches are just toooo confused!
However I can only give Macy's three stars because I will always hold a place in my heart for Marshall Fields.
I'm getting really annoyed with the customer service at Macy's. I called there last week and I was put on hold. Ok that's fine, but then they didn't push "hold." Instead I was able to listen to people talk and talk forever. I couldn't take it anymore when I hung up and called Nordstrom and their service was perfect. I just happened to have to call over there again to cancel an appointment in the bridal gown section and got transferred around. I'll continue to shop at Macy's b/c sometimes their sales are phenomenal and I just can't pass it up. I can only hope their store gets a bit more organized in the near future.
So a word about the Macy's bridal salon....
In March when I was wedding dress shopping I made an appointment at the Macy's bridal salon over a lunch and went with all the girls from work. I loved it. I thought it was so fun to be in the old Fields building and see one of the original dresses sold there and the room where you show your guests your dress is SO fun. Its like the quintessential wedding dress shopping experience. And though I didn't find the dress of my dreams I did find the veil of my dreams.
So I went back the first week of April to order it. I even loved my sales associate, Ronia. I referred people to Macy's Bridal and just overall had a good feeling.
So, they said it would be in two months. I waited three months, and called, in July, to see what the status was. They said, call back mid-September. So I called back 9-16. They said um.... we'll call you back. Two days later after hearing nothing back I decided to stop into the store. The woman I spoke to said well in Ronia's log in the computer she says she left you a message. I said, oh, I didn't receive one, does it say what number she called? It was my cell phone... nope no message. I asked the clerk if she could give me an update regardless. She said well it shipped yesterday so it should be in either today or tomorrow, in fact I'm going to get today's shipment from downstairs if you want to stop back in ten minutes. Came back in ten minutes, she said, call back later. I called back later. No one would return my call. Two days later I called again and they said Ronia left you a message, its not it. I said, I think Ronia has the wrong number, I didn't get a message. Again they read me my cell phone number. She said, it should be in by the end of the week. I called Friday. No one knew where it was.
I called the next Friday. No one answered so I left a message saying who I was, what I was looking for etc etc and could the manager of the salon please call me back. No call. Monday rolls around and I go in. I see the manager and I corner him. He's annoyed at me because he's helping someone and frankly - I don't care. Its now Mid-October. For one month I've been actively just trying to get a status update and no one would tell me anything. My sales clerk, Ronia, didn't speak to me directly or leave me a message in all of this time. I relay all of this to him. He goes to look it up in the computer. Says Ronia left you a message yesterday. Your veil shipped yesterday, it should be in today or tomorrow.
Sigh. I come home, dig out my receipt and prepare to try to just get my money back. I call the salon and schedule an appointment with the manager over lunch on Wednesday.
Tuesday Ronia freaking calls me for the first time since July. My veil is in! I ran over and picked it up right away.
I have a small feeling that they just didn't order it back in April or that they did and sold it and ordered another one. I mean I ordered my dress at the same time from another store and it was in by July. I wouldn't even had been mad if someone had just called me back. Ever. I'm glad I didn't get my dress there - this was stressful enough.
Oh and I never canceled on the manager. I just let him sit there during lunch waiting.
You know what I'm over Macy's. Over their rude sales clerks who I constantly have to seek out and… Read more »
I wish this place was still Marshall Fields. But its still a good store. Its the best macy's that i've ever been too. It has a nice selection of men's clothing. I love the interior design of the store, i've never seen a store like this one. The staff that work here are very nice and helpful, especially this nice lady that works in the men's department, she has been there for 37 years and she is soo nice! I wish i remembered her name. And this other lady in the fragrance department, she is so helpful and nice! I wanted to give her a hug. If you're ever on state street and you need to do some shopping, this is the place to go!
OK, I'll admit straight off that I'm not a fan of the Macy's takeover of Marshall Fields. So, I don't shop Macy's unless someone's holding a gun to my head. But in fact, someone gave me a $50 gift card and I wasn't going to let them pocket the change, so I went to the State Street store today. Decided to check out the Bedding dept. The good news: the merchandise was better than expected -- fairly broad high end selection, and 30% sales in progress. I found a Martha Stewart set that was a well priced and was ready to pay. Only one problem. No salesperson in sight. A merchandise rep who was stocking the shelves said they had only one salesperson per (huge) floor. Seriously??? Took me 15 min to find a human being to check out. Unacceptable. Breaks my heart because I want to support State Street, but Macy's just doesn't get it.
As a non Chicagoan, I don't feel any personal connection to the ongoing Macy's/Marshall Fields debate. Still, I have been underwhelmed by my shopping experiences. On the plus side, I bought a fanfriggentastic suit coat this summer at about 75% discount. It looked amazing. I wore it to an interview and landed the job! The sales can be really spectacular.
However, last time I was there, it was a complete miss. I guess I just expected a downtown flagship institution in a major metropolitan city to be better then my local mall back home. So much of what I looked at was just plain fugly. None of the cute stuff was on sale and the store is not conveniently laid out (try to find the bathroom. Make sure you pack a survival kit)
To end on a positive note though, I will always have a soft spot for Frango mints. My grandfather used to buy them for my grandmother every Christmas. Even though both of my grandparents are now passed, Frango mints at Christmas have a special nostalgic place in my heart.
This review is ONLY for Macy's Bridal Salon.
Macy's Bridal Salon was the first place I ever tried on wedding gowns. My first experience there was great- I came in with rather specific requests and my consultant found about 15 different dresses that all fit the specifications. I had her record my top four for when I came back for the second round with my mom.
We went back to the bridal salon on the weekend we planned to make the big purchase. My consultant kept our group waiting for almost half an hour past our appointment time before showing up. She asked me what dresses I had tried on last time and then started pulling new random ones for me instead of getting the ones I had requested. I asked her to pull my previous favorites, but she kept claiming she couldn't remember what they were and weren't these the same thing? Um, no. Please go look up my dresses from your worksheet like you should have before the appointment even started. We had been waiting for an hour by the time I finally got to try on the only four dresses I wanted to in the first place. After I had tried them on, she disappeared from the room and never came back, even when my mom (who was looking to buy!) asked to try on mother-of-the bride dresses. It was just TERRIBLE customer service.
The Macy's Bridal Salon does have some good points- they have a very large selection of dresses at a wider range of price points than most wedding boutiques. I wouldn't recommend it, however, because of the poor customer service I encountered, especially during an appointment in which I was looking to make a big purchase. Needless to say, I didn't get my dress here.
We purchased our dining room sideboard from the Furniture department; our salesperson, Jack, was a little "used car salesman" but efficient overall, since we had pretty much already chosen what we wanted by the time he became involved in the process.
Then comes the part where one little letter can ruin everyone's afternoon:
We live on Major Ave, he wrote Manor Ave on the order.
And though we corrected them, not once but twice, when they called to set up delivery, we still had tons of delivery issues, including a call to the warehouse dispatcher telling us our piece had "already been delivered" when it was, um, NOT at our house.
Thankfully it did make it to our place undamaged, but it's going to be pretty tough to buy anything else from a place that is so unorganized, from their sales team down to warehouse and dispatch.
I've been salty about Macy's ever since my beloved Marshall Field's was taken away from me. I was in need of a dress for a wedding, and Macy's was right there, and I figured time heals all wounds, I'll give it a shot.
Turns out my instincts are correct.
I was in the State Street store today looking for a dress for said wedding. I was perusing a rack of sale dresses when a salesperson came up behind me with a few dresses (apparently from the fitting rooms) and began sighing heavily. Finally I turned around and asked "Am I in your way?" She responded with a curt "Yes, you are."
Oh no she diiiiiiiidn't.
Pardon my French, but are you fucking kidding me? I put the non-sale item Tadashi dress I had in my hands on the rack right in front of her and walked out.
Macy's can suck it. Bloomie's 4-EVA.
Yes, I miss the charm and cache of Marshall Field's...a longtime tradition in my family. I miss the old 7th floor -- the Crystal Place ice cream parlor and that English pub and that all-you-can-eat pasta place and that nice cafeteria. But I don't believe in vilifying Macy's for these things...the world has changed, unfortunately.
The vast majority of my shopping experiences there have been very good -- invariably I take something up to the register to discover it's marked down more than was indicated, and the salespeople, in my experience, have been friendly and helpful. I visited the optical shop yesterday, and the lady working there was terrific and knowledgeable -- informing me about some upcoming sales and talking about the various brands. Good experiences at the cosmetic counters, too...particularly Benefit. Also, the women's plus-size department is really good, with nice big dressing rooms.
I really like the addition of Merz Apothecary (my local shop is usually closed when I can go there), Levenger, Posh. Great stuff!
Yes, the lower level food court is a pale imitation of what it once was, and the washrooms desperately need an upgrade, but the food is still pretty good and it (as well as the 7th floor food court) has free wi-fi, one of the few places in the Loop that does, and the only Starbucks I know of anywhere. That factor alone has kept me coming back.
No complaints, really...I don't think any stores are quite what they used to be in the good old days, but Macy's -- no doubt prepared for hostility from Field's shoppers -- has really tried to fit in and provide things that people want. And since Carson's left the Loop (sob!), they're really the only big department store left down there unless you want to jump on the subway and head to Nordstrom (overpriced and don't carry my brands).
Oh, and the Frangos...just as good as ever, if not better.
The wine selection (hidden waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back behind the food court downstairs) is excellent.
Hidden gems, and fantastic deals. If you haven't tried it out before, take a wander on the lower level.
Boooooo! Macy's suck. We want Marshall Fields back! Thief!
Arg, I've never hated a department store more than I do Macy's. They buy out Marshall Fields but still leave parts of them around. Like the frango mints and some Marshall fields signs and the green around the store.
Everything is super expensive and not worth it. You die of lack of air in the perfume section. And you get mauled by all the cosmetic girls, unless you are ugly, then they don't talk to you. ironic? i think so.
If you go on their website, they have TONS of great stuff, but you can't find any of that in the store. You have the option online to either a) buy b) pick up at a local macys, but 97% of the time, not one macy's carries what you are looking for. So then you have to buy something and of course it never fits and you return it and blah blah blah. HASSLE!
screw macy's. we dont want you hear in chicago.
Hey Macy's - take a cue from the NFL, Elgin's school district U46 and every departing president: fire everyone and start over.
First up? The buyers for the women's departments. Fire them. They are clearly either blind, cheap or too old to know what's remotely desirable anymore. Then fire the people that should have fired them for not knowing better. Then fire the guy who should have fired those people.
Cheap fabrics, shoddy construction. It's one step above the sad side of Nordstrom Rack and that's only because it's organized by style rather than color, what little style there is to organize.
Oh dear Field's, how the mighty have fallen.
Yuck. Yuck for so many reasons. Yuck for the quality of their house brand - I've had two of the two… Read more »
You wouldn't have to be Freud to figure out that I used to be a cog in the machine. That's right, I'm yet another person left jaded by her experience toiling thanklessly for corporate America. (Insert the opening strains of The March Slave here.) And that's why I like to give props to the little people. No, I'm not talking about the Munchkins. I'm talking about people like Christina and her colleague (once again I've failed to write down a name and yelped to regret it), who toil for the machine formerly known as Marshall Field's. Yes, I am one of those "You changed the name of a Chicago classic?! Really, Macy's?! Really?! Wow!" (Apologies to Seth and Amy.) But I digress. Christina and her unnamed but not forgotten colleague work in the department known as 'casual dining,' which is corporate-speak for where they sell the dishes you can put in a dishwasher. Both transcended the standard 'I'll be as civil as I'm required to be" benchmark for many of my retail experiences. When one didn't know the particulars of the sale that started the next day, she encouraged me to call back to make sure I'd get the sale price. (Maybe it's integrity born of not being on commission, but it's still appreciated.) I did due diligence, called back the next day, and encountered Christina, who not only verified what I wanted was on sale, but cheerfully (cheerfully, folks, can you believe it?) checked for the specific colors I wanted, was happy to hold them for me, and told me that even though one item wasn't scanning at the sale price, they'd let me have it for the sale price due to the signage. Don't let the corporate machine keep you down, ladies. You deserve your very own 'Real American Heroes' ditty.
Macys gets 3 stars from me, but the review is limited to the bedding department and the chocolate.
They carry some solid brands of bedding that always seems to be on sale for a price that beats Bed Bath & Beyond, especially for the quality. Their house brand Charter Club has a really lovely line of damask stripe sheets that are 400 thread count but feel pretty luxurious. So four stars for the bedding!
While looking for the cafe on the lower level, I came across what seems to be a hallway of chocolates - truffles from all over in class cases, looking luscious and tempting. I was set to buy some.... except NO ONE was around to dispense them to me from the glass cases. It was torture. I really wanted some dark chocolate. Two stars for simply selling these chocolatiers' candies in the same place... Macy's would've gotten more had they actually sold some to me.
Well, it's certainly no Marshall Fields. The clothes, accessories, and other departments don't really do it for me. But it's not all bad.
Some of the good:
1) The bridal department.
I visited their bridal department this weekend with one of my newly engaged friends. Theresa helped us out and she knew her stuff! My friend told her a bit about what she was looking for and her price range...and Theresa brought out lots of good options. My only complaint is that the dresses are all in the back so you can't go around and pick out what you like, but this seems to be the case at many bridal salons. Oh, and the best part! They had a guy serenading the girls trying on dresses with "love and marriage" and other lovey dovey songs. Oh so cheesy, but still kinda fun.
2) The 7th floor food court.
I avoid food courts like the plague, but if all food courts had choices like this one I'd be lining up with my tray. You know it's good when Frontera Grill and Takashi even opened affordable dining options in this food court.
It is worth noting that this Macy's is MUCH better than the Macy's on Michigan Avenue. Still I'll probably refrain from doing my department store shopping here, but will continue to eat in that fabulous food court and recommend the bridal dept to any future brides!
So I don't care that it used to be Marshall Fields, and I don't feel that there's any point in hating Macy's just because it bought Marshall Fields. I kind of wish people would get over their hatred and get whipped up about something a little more vital, like finding a cure for aids or even malaria, saving the rain forests, recycling, mentoring a child, teaching an adult how to read, anything but the whole Marshall Fields-Macy's dead horse... But hey that's just me.
I do like the architecture in the building- the fountain in the middle and the blue tile ceiling in one place.
My issue is that the 1st floor perfume and perfumed cosmetics give me a headache, and I can smell it even when I'm on the upper floors. That didn't happen years ago so either I've changed or there's much more fragrance in the air. Perhaps less ventilation? Plus all the prices seemed pretty high, which is a big downer too. Maybe I missed a section that was more reasonably priced? At least I could go to the basement to escape the fumes and have a little food.
* from an out-of-towners point of view
I grew up on Macy*s in CA, Northern and Southern. It's not bad. Liked it better than Robinsons-May. I've also been to Marshall Fields when it *was* Marshall Fields. That was lovely.
Anyway, I wasn't really looking for clothing (which is what, half the store?) so much as I wanted to just browse through Trend House, pick up some requested Frango, and partake in a flower show tour.
Funny how the street level does NOT have restrooms, yet the other levels do. Plus, the ones at the food court are really run down. If you can't keep up your infrastructure, what does that say about the rest of the space?
Elizabeth in the jewelry department (Betsy Johnson brand) was very nice in allowing me to purchase a ring that was on a mannequin. Even got to use my 11% visitor discount on it.
Frango on 7 was exactly what I needed. Service was informative (she even broke open a box and offered me a sample). Conveniently located near one of the eateries and the visitor area.
I've done the audio tour on a previous visit, but forgot that I could've downloaded it onto my iPod (like at Millennium Park) and experienced it all over again. Oh well.
Fantastic selection of women's accessories and beauty. Wish I could've ditched the husband and lost myself in there for a couple of hours.
I wonder how long it will take Chicagoans to stop mourning the loss of the grand old days of Marshall Fields. It's true, Marshall Fields was a magical and wonderful place, chock full of great experiences and quality items, killer sales too.
The Macy's shopping experience is pretty lackluster. Amanda B. and I were on a mission to find pretty and inexpensive dresses for some upcoming weddings we are attending. Slim pickings, mostly poor material, still overpriced and poor customer service. I did manage to find some cute things on the clearance rack but it was touch and go for awhile. None of the sales associates even blinked an eye at us when it came time for assistance. Boo, Federated you need to do some clean up in your staff. Times are tough, no customer should be ignored!
Also my shopping partner in crime found a curly black hair in her chicken pot pie. The people in Marketplace were nice enough to refund her money immediately, but still gross!
On a positive note I thought that I had lost my spectacles for good, when I discovered them missing about a half hour after I left the store. I raced back into the dressing room that I had used and fortunately I was able to find them laying on the floor!
I know Macy's gets a bad rap being that they snuffed out Field's, and I do miss the old Marshall Fields, but those times are gone. I am not a huge fan of the Macy's merchandising scheme - their clothes aren't all that, their shoes can be hit or miss, and sometimes it can be quite messy. But I will give them this - when they have a sale, you can get great deals here. I've bought BCBG shoes here in the past for practically a steal, and I've found fantastic deals on housewares, such as the huge and sturdy lasagna pan for $8 during the holidays. So, if you know what you are looking for, you can sometimes find a good deal.
But I do have to give them props for the Macy's Garden Show, which debuted this week. The first floor on State street was filled with gorgeous spring floral arrangements and lots of pink flamingos, creating a veritable spring paradise. Events like these, which they do in New York, will go a long way to improving their image here in Chicago.
First off, Macy's is hands down my favorite store overall. Macy's is the best place for TRUE sales and I love the Macy's card rewards. I like that this store is quite large, but I don't think it's very well organized. Some part of the store resemble almost a warehouse type layout, so much for the Macy's experience. I expect a large flagship type of a store to have a better feel. The sales people are scattered around...you can run around the store for 10 minutes without finding anyone to talk to, maybe its a function of today's economy, but doesn't speak well for service.
Burgers on the 7th floor are pretty good.
Don't go to the noodle bar, you'll get ripped off and it will just make you crave noodles that are actually good.
Sandwich bar is not that bad.
Chicken and wild rice soup is really good.
Outfielders is OK. They had a BBQ pork special one day and it was amazing. Every time I walk by there I see if it is the special again.
Get the Frango mint pie!!! It is delicious! Graham cracker crust, Frango ice cream and whipped cream!!!
Ug... Marshall Field's WHERE ARE YOU??????
Macy's only saving grace is the cosmetics department, namely the little LUSH store tucked into the corner! Ahhhh it's an oasis, and they deserve 5 stars!
Forget about going up to the furniture department. The staff up there are the worst that I have ever seen, even for Macy's standards! They were so rude and dismissive when my boyfriend and I were starting to go shopping for furniture for our first condo!
If you are looking for furniture, save yourself time and just go to Room and Board.
Yup, I'm taking away that star I gave back.
Macy's, you suck SO hard.
I came here today with my friend and her boyfriend to help them find something to wear to the inaugural ball that they are lucky enough to attend. My friend found lots of dresses to try on, with no help from the staff. In fact, there was no one even working that section. Nice.
So, we're in the fitting room and one of the dresses has a broken zipper. Two employees happened to come back to run some of the dresses back out to the sales floor, so I held up the dress and said, "this dress has a broken zipper, you may want to pull it off the floor." She looks at me and says, "okay" and walks away. Um... wtf. We then found another dress with a rhinestone thing that was halfway torn off. So I put both broken dresses aside. The same woman who I told about the broken zipper comes back and starts to take them back to the sales floor. I stop her and point out they're both damaged and she gives me a dirty look. Ok, I'm sorry, but I'm just trying to be helpful - I didn't think Macy's wanted broken dresses on their sales floor, but clearly I was wrong.
THEN... my friend's boyfriend and I were sitting in two chairs giving my friend our opinions on dresses. His chair is less than two feet from the doorway. He gets told that he can't be in the fitting room. Okay, I can sort of understand it... but he's allowed to stand up and walk less than two feet over and stand there, and THAT'S ok?
Needless to say, we left without buying a dress or a suit thanks to their STELLAR customer service. I told my friends to go to Nordstrom before we parted ways. I'm hoping they took my advice.
Suck it, Macy's.
Well well well... look who is getting another star. Effing Macy's.
I went in there today in search…
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I love macy's good prices, quality and I always find what i;m looking for.....
Hell has no fury like a Preet scorned. I AM GOING TO WRITE THIS REVIEW QUICKY, WHILE I AM STILL SPITTING, HEAVING MAD, and before I return to my regular docile, delicate flower ways.
COAT DEPARTMENT REVIEW: These mickey dickey assholes are outta control. Not the people, b/c I heart all of God's children, but the nameless faceless management "upstairs" that creates their soul-less, god-less, bullshit return policies.
I bought a RIDICULOUSLY expensive, what-the-f*ck-was-I-thinking, Searle coat here less then TWO WEEKS ago. I wore it for a week, discovered I was still cold when I wore it, it was tearing at the seams, and most importantly, I am not f*cking Paris Hilton so what the hell is my Fresno (almost-born-and-definitely-bred) ass doing w/ a $800 coat. YES. YOU HEARD. I AM A CERTIFIED IDIOT!
SOHO, I decide to return the coat, so I can afford to eat, and get it dry-cleaned as a courtesy. I walk in a few minutes ago with all the paperwork I need, the original reciepts and the coat is in pristine condition. I literally wore it for less than a week. I take it out of the plastic bag and hand it to the lady, here is our exchange:
Delicate flower Preet (hereafter, DFP): Hi, I'm sorry to report, I'm gonna have to return this. Not warm enough and too expensive.
Macy's dragon: Scowl.
D.F. P: Great, so let's get this going.
Macy's dragon: Oh, wait, why is it in that dry-cleaning bag?
DFP: Oh, I got it dry-cleaned as a courtesy.
Macy's dragon: So you wore it?
DFP: Sure, remember? You sold it to me, I wore it out the store.
Macy's dragon: That's what I thought. You can't return what you wore.
Preet, losing petals: JIGGA WHA?!?
YES, MY FELLOW YELPERS! The coat department will not let you wear something and return it, EVEN IF YOU JUST WEAR IT OUT THE STORE AND DECIDE TO RETURN IT THE NEXT DAY. TOO BAD! YOU WORE IT, ya dig?!?!
NO?!?! ME NEITHER.
So then they call management, and management is like "you wouldn't want to wear something someone wore, would you" -
NO LADY! That is why i got it dry-cleaned, and this is a MULTI-BILLION dollar conglomerate, don't you have oompa-lumpa's or some machine downstairs to steam clean shit that gets returned?!?! And, FURTHERMORE, it depends how LONG it's been worn. See, like that girl over there is trying on a coat I will happily try on after her. Sure, she's worn it, but that's the name of the game unless you are an extreme germophobe and have made the necessary adjustments to your life.
LESSON LEARNED: IF YOU BUY A COAT AT THIS MACY'S AND TRY TO RETURN IT - LIE, LIE, LIE!!!!!!!!!! NO MA'AM, I NEVER WORE THIS COAT. JUST BOUGHT IT AND PUT IT IN MY CLOSET AND LOOKED AT IT EVERY NIGHT, THINKING, DAMN, THAT'S A NICE COAT I BOUGHT, WISH I COULD WEAR IT, JUST ONCE.
I went to Macy's Bridal Salon a few months back for my first experience trying on dresses. It was less than overwhelming.
First of all, when I scheduled the appointment, I made it a point to say there was a designer dress I knew they had there that I wanted to try on. I gave the designer and dress style number. I was told it would be there. When I arrived, and was put into a dressing room, I asked about the dress. My consultant said they had no record of it. I remembered the designer's name, but did not bring the style number with me. So, I walked around for a while until I saw the dress hanging on a mannequin.
Secondly, we were not my consultant's only client. We waited over 20 minutes for our consultant to bring us another dress after the dress I wanted to try on didn't fit. My mom was getting irritated at the wait, so she left our room to search for our consultant. She heard her a few dressing rooms over with another bride during our scheduled appointment time. We could not believe she had 2 clients during our time.
Thirdly, once the consultant returned with a few dresses, none of them were the type of gown I described to the consultant as the type of dress I would want. I said I wanted beading, she brought me dresses that only had lace. After I reluctantly tried on the dresses she brought, not liking any of them, she informed me my appointment time was over and we had to leave. My mother pointed out that 20 minutes of our appointment had been spent on another bride, the consultant yelled at her for having left the dressing room.
Worst shopping experience ever. We went to Macy's for their known customer service and we were severely disappointed.
After vowing to never step foot in this joint, a distant relative sends us a gift card for the place. Well, I figure, if we never use it then Macy's wins, right? They have my relative's $$ and don't have to give up anything for said $$.
So we go on Christmas Eve. And it's uncrowded, which is OK with me. We use the gift card on lunch downstairs. Inferior to Field's.
Then we go and view the Christmas Tree from the 7th floor. And my 4 year old says it best: "WHERE'S THE TRAIN? THERE'S NO TRAIN AROUND THE TREE?! THIS IS STUPID!"
So we have a few bucks left on the gift card and try to find a toy or a book to spend it on and really, can't find anything we even want to buy.
And on the way out we looked at the windows - was there a point?
NOTHING SO CONSTANT AS CHANGE :: This is a beautiful store being kept beautiful and filled with conscientious managers who are visibly present and responsive to customers. I haven't checked the corporate giving but I'll bet Macy's is upholding the Fields tradition of support to our fave arts groups and more.
There are some sales associates who could, shall we say, really benefit from my laughter yoga training :) but that said, here's my take.
Best department staff: shoes on 4 and the gentleman who is the Frango historian on 7. Most coveted conveniences: having both a Merz Apothecary and a Barbara's Bookstore downtown. Most efficient group: information desk team on 1. Welcoming and well-done: culinary demos on lower level. Honorable mention: Levenger's. All is well and with our continued praise, constructive feedback and support, our flagship Macy's will exceed our expectations!
I mourn my precious Marshall Fields!!! Bring back the class and sophistication of the old Marshall Fields.
After 4 years of avoiding Macy's like the plague it is, I finally give in and try to buy a watch. One of those cute Burberry steel bracelet type watch. es. Huge mistake.
The salesperson shows me Tag Heuers and Raymond Weils. All of a sudden, I'm going from $500 to $3,000 plus and while I'm rolling my eyes and looking for the exit, he whips out a calculator and talks "Private Sale" and "no interest financing" and "20% off with a new Macy's credit card, which somehow knocks off like $800 off a Tag Aqua Racer. Evil vultures. No better than a used car salesman. Go back to New York and give me back my Marshall Fields.
SO not Marshall Fields.
You dummies- you could have at least kept up a facade that you were still Marshall Fields even though you were bought up by Macy's.
But NO-
you department-store-franchise-boardroom dummies thought you could pull the ole New York wool over our Chicagoan eyes and convert us all.
Losers!
What a difference location makes.
After being in the Macy's at Water Tower and getting super frustrated, we came here for lunch and more shopping.
Shoe Department:
The second we neared the department there was someone there to ask if we needed assistance. We didn't at the moment. We found out boots, and saw an associate. He cracked a joke, helped us, and we were done in about 10 minutes. The boots didn't work, but I was greeted, helped, and assisted in a timely manner. Big plus.
Toys:
Please tell me I do not need a giant stuffed Triceratops or a Unicorn for my apartment. Because I want them real real bad.
I didn't spend as much time here as the one in Water Tower, but the difference in staff was amazing. I have found my Macy's of choice.
Don't bother shopping here.
Do wander in to gawk at the holiday displays.
If you're visiting make sure you take in the amazing Tiffany's ceiling.
PS - while I'm bummed that Macy's took them over, I do appreciate the city forcing them to retain the Marshall Field's placquards on the outside of the building.
The "jazz" muzak makes me hostile. The service is non-existent. The selection iffy. The prices outrageous. It's just not fun to shop here, and buying anything at Macy's (like even a $10 lipstick) gives me instantaneous buyer's remorse. I hate parting with my hard-earned cash at this crappy place. Shop local. Or shop anywhere else. There is almost nothing here worth your money. What a bland, homogenized piece of crap.
(That is unless you enjoy being made to feel like you're too poor and frumpy to spend your money -- then by all means you will love this place.)
Neighborhood: Magnificent Mile
Category: Department Stores
Neighborhood: Gold Coast
Category: Bridal
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Public Transportation
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Department Stores
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Drugstores
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