Perhaps you noticed while you were out Christmas shopping that plenty is different at the Macy’s store at Fayette Mall, and you can smell the start of it at the door.
It’s an in-store Starbucks. The idea behind adding it is simple: Shoppers don’t have to leave the store to grab a refreshment.
Macy’s, which pretty much invented the store shopping experience, has selected 50 stores nationwide — called “Growth 50” —to re-invent the experience of shopping in a store for a generation that has learned to let its fingers do the shopping across a computer screen.
The Fayette Mall is one of the 50.
There’s a little something different in each of the Growth 50 stores. Some of have Potbelly sandwich shops or a Macy’s Tastebar. The Fayette Mall store has a Starbucks, which permeates the ground-floor air with the smell of coffee.
Some improvements are small: The hard flooring and carpet are new. The lighting is LED, which saves energy: “We could run 515 Big Ass Fans every day with the energy we’ve saved,” said Vice President Store Manager, Michael Nold of the fan manufacturer that’s located in Lexington.
Others changes are more noticeable. There’s much more jewelry. A beauty/makeover area featuring new brands including Stila, Strength and Laura Culler.
Makeup counters are set up to be more approachable, so that a shopper can pick one product from one brand and one from another, rather than being quietly encouraged to buy from one brand.
An At Your Service area is available by an exit near the parking lot for online order pickup, customer returns and exchanges. Customers can also buy gifts cards and pay their credit card bills. The service counter will eventually get designated parking.
Some goods in the store have digital price tags, which will eventually be programmed to tell the customer what sizes the item is available in online, and reflect when it goes on sale.
The men’s area upstairs has been expanded by 6,000 square feet — including a convenient style comparison between a suit that is close-fitting on purpose and one that is standard —and restrooms have been relocated.
“Men shop by need,” Nold said. “The way men shop, is the wife shops for them.”
The women’s dress department has also doubled in size.
“It really gives us the opportunity to display the dresses the way they should be displayed,“ Nold said.
Overall, the store has added 30 new permanent jobs from its upgrade. Construction took place from July-October.
In the furniture section, walls of blanket-size upholstery fabric samples — more than 200 fabrics and 12 leathers — and a giant TV screen allows shoppers to plop down a piece of furniture, or three, into the confines of their own pre-measured home. Virtual reality goggles are available for a 3-D experience.
Recently a customer was debating between an armchair and a chaise, said Justin Kilgore, the sale manager for furniture. Being able to insert both pieces into her space enabled her to make the call: the chaise it was.
Macy’s had already debuted its Backstage outlet space in August. Backstage operates like a treasure hunt for the bargain minded. On a morning before Thanksgiving, a Michael Kors tote was available at a deeply discounted price. Backstage has its own staff and buyers.
“That customer is totally for the thrill of the hunt,” Nold said.