
Macy's is bringing its new self-service shoe concept to three Chicago-area stores, enabling customers to bypass sales associates and slip on a pair all by themselves. The "help yourself" approach is one piece of a new shoe strategy the department store chain began testing at some stores in California and the southwestern U.S. last fall, focused on making sure it has in-demand brands, stocks the right shoes and makes shopping less of a hassle. All Macy's stores will adopt a version of the new approach by July, since stores that were part of the test saw shoe sales increase at a rate "well above" that at regular stores, Chief Financial Officer Karen Hoguet said this month during a call with investors.
Total Retail's Take: Like many brick-and-mortar retailers, Macy's is testing new ideas to make the in-store shopping experience as easy, seamless and attractive to consumers as possible. With the growth of online shopping — and in particular, Amazon.com — putting a serious dent in traditional store retailers’ traffic and sales, new approaches are being tested in-store to see what resonates with consumers. Giving shoppers the ability to do something themselves — e.g., try on shoes — without requiring assistance from an associate is a step in the right direction for me. I'm the type of shopper that has a good idea of what I want before I walk into the store. The easier I'm able to find that product and try it on (in the case of apparel and footwear), the more likely I am to purchase it. I have to imagine there's a whole of lot of other shoppers like me. So from a customer experience perspective, self-service shoe departments are a win for Macy's.
- Places:
- Chicago

Joe Keenan is the executive editor of Total Retail. Joe has more than 10 years experience covering the retail industry, and enjoys profiling innovative companies and people in the space.