At 150 Years Old, Bloomingdale’s Sets a Birthday Blowout
Bloomingdale’s is planning a “celebration like no other” this fall to mark its 150th birthday — and the timing couldn’t be any more fortuitous given the upscale department store’s momentum in recent seasons.
Executives tell WWD that the Bloomingdale’s team is organizing new kinds of shopping experiences, exclusive luxury product collaborations, pop-ups and special events revolving around its milestone, beginning in September and running through the 2022 holiday season.
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All 33 Bloomingdale’s department store locations will join in the celebrations, with the most intense programming happening at the 59th Street flagship in Manhattan, as well as at the South Coast Plaza and Valley Fair locations in California, the North Michigan Avenue store in Chicago and Chestnut Hill location in Massachusetts. The Bloomie’s store in Fairfax, Va., will also participate in the celebration. Bloomie’s is a new, scaled-down format focused on contemporary and luxury fashion.
“As befitting ‘a store like no other,’ we are planning a celebration like no other that will launch during September [New York] Fashion Week at 59th Street, select flagship locations around the country and on bloomingdales.com,” said Tony Spring, chief executive officer of Bloomingdale’s, referencing the company’s “Like No Other Store” tag line. “We will also continue the program throughout the holiday season across all of our stores and platforms.
“I have been fortunate to be a part of this great company for 35 years,” added Spring, who has spent his entire retail career at Bloomingdale’s. He said the store “continues to be a part of the fabric of modern culture…always providing a sense of discovery, inspiration and excitement, as customers look to connect and engage with brands they love. While this is a celebration of our 150 years, I’m just as excited about what comes next for our brand.”
Anthony Behar/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
With the 150th campaign, Bloomingdale’s, a division of Macy’s Inc., aims to sustain its momentum of the last several seasons. In the first quarter of this year, Bloomingdale’s comparable sales on an owned-plus-licensed basis were up 26.9 percent. Results were driven by strong performances in luxury, dresses, men’s tailored, men’s and women’s contemporary apparel and luggage.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, comparable sales at Bloomingdale’s rose 37.6 percent versus the fourth quarter of 2020, and 13 percent versus the fourth quarter of 2019.
Among the upcoming components of the 150th anniversary campaign:
A Bloomingdale’s 150th anniversary collection of limited-edition designer collaborations, its biggest to-date, including more than 300 exclusive products and styles developed in partnership with top brands and designers, including special luxury selections, across women’s and men’s fashion, accessories, beauty, home, fine jewelry and other categories.
A series of private and public events, pop-ups and original shopping experiences at locations across the country.
Dedicated 150th anniversary branding integrated into consumer experiences including limited-edition anniversary merchandise collections, and a digital experience.
Partnerships with organizations, landmarks and institutions to give back and support communities.
“From the world-class collaborations to innovative new experiences, our 150th is all about celebrating with, and also giving back to our customers, employees, partners and everyone who has been a part of making Bloomingdale’s the icon it is today,” said Frank Berman, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Bloomingdale’s. “You only turn 150 once, and this monumental celebration will be one of the biggest and brightest moments in our company’s history to-date.”
Aside from its 33 department stores, Bloomingdale’s operates 21 outlets, one Bloomie’s units, one international department store located in Dubai, and bloomingdales.com.
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