This book was on the small corner bookshelf in my father's office, or the 'back room' as my siblings and I referred to that sacred space where dad could continue working after coming home from his long commute to New York City. Dad had a lease department in the behemoth department store, Gimbels. And though not an official employee, we enjoyed the perks that came from this arrangement; a 25% discount, early entry into the store, inside info on the newest, upcoming products.
Gimbel's is long gone, closing in 1987, when I was 28 years old and traveling the country in my then husband's Chevy S10 pick-up truck. I'd lived in Denver for nine years by that time and there was no Gimbels or Macy's here in the Queen City. Colorado boasted The Denver, May D&F and Joslins. All these places are long gone now as well. I even enjoyed a few short years of upscale Neusteter's before they closed in 1986. Macy's seems to be the stalwart of them all.
Growing up on the west bank of the Hudson river, Macy's disguised themselves as Bamberger's in the new and ultra modern Nanuet mall, that opened to much fanfare in 1969. It was one of the first indoor shopping concepts in the country and we were lucky enough as teenagers to hop on the Red Line bus for 35 cents and enjoy a day of blaring boom boxes and grilled cheese sandwiches at Friendly's.
This past weekend, my youngest daughter and I visited Macy's in Boulder, Colorado. Even though Boulder was bumping with The Boulder Bolder and other Creek Festival activities, the parking lot for Macy's was pretty open. We entered the store and asked where housewares is located. Down the escalator in the basement of the store. Though well lit, we both thought the space cavernous and empty, my daughter used the word abandoned, and that was an apt perception. The elevator down put us at children's clothing. No one to help us in the kids department, and the merchandising seemed scattered and not well organized. We never did find infant socks for girls.
Onward to housewares, where I chuckled that the Macy's branded merch was called "The Cellar". How many folks, I wondered knew that reference? As a teenager in fancy shoes behind my dad's watch and jewelry repair counter in Gimbels, I was privy to a thing or two about Macy's - located through the arcade that separated 33rd and 34th streets. This was a cutout, arched tunnel, through a building, that linked Macy's to Gimbel's in the shortest possible manner. I loved the pizza place in that arcade - just a few seats, and a giant window that the cooks pushed my order through. I first tasted calzones here and still have a strong affection for those cheese and dough bombs.
My friend Christine's grandmother worked in the hosiery department of Macy's. Like my Dad's leased space in Gimbel's, it too was located on a balcony overlooking the first floor of the store. In the days before ADA compliance there were long travertine staircases leading up to these mezzanine areas. I occasionally ventured over to the rival store and had lunch with FiFi. Woolworth's had a worthy and inexpensive little restaurant and we enjoyed eating there. A mature teenager in grown-up clothes and a grandmother, who filled a spot in my heart; my own two grandma's long gone.
Even though I didn't grow up in Macy's, I have fond memories of the era, the city streets and the way generations interacted back then. When I enter a department store, memories easily flood my mind. How many times did I take the escalator up eleven floors to get change for the newfangled cash register? Dad always said take the elevator - it is faster; time is money and all that... Or when I had a small Sweet Sixteen party at our house, and Dad procured a giant silk heart, bedecked with lace and ribbons that had hung from the ceiling of the store for Valentine's Day just a week before my soiree. Everyone that attended my party signed that oversized memento with a grease pencil. The heart lived in my bedroom for a while, then the basement, and landed in it's final resting place, the dump off Route 303, sometime in my 20's.
The reason my daughter and I went to Macy's was two-fold. My uncle had sent me a future Harriet Tubman valued gift card he had received from the casino and the Sunday paper had a ten dollar off thirty-five purchase. We figured we could buy $35 worth of stuff for about five bucks. Baby clothes are always on the list, but we struck out in that department. So, here we are trying very hard to spend some money - looking at clearance housewares.
I couldn't believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas items hadn't already been snatched up. Were they still pricy? Was Macy's so overstocked at the holidays that five months later they were still carrying inventory? Did anyone even shop here?
We couldn't find anything over in this section either. We were looking for a simple, everyday drinking glass set. The kind that comes a dozen to the box in three sizes. One size that is actually useful, an oversized goblet, and a miniscule juice glass. The kind that costs four dollars and lasts for two good sips at a hipster breakfast joint.
Up the escalator we went and more memories seep in. The last time I visited Macy's 34th St., about 15 years ago, the upper floors still had the original escalators. Narrow and wooden, they made a rickety-rick sound as this same daughter and I wended our way up to the Juniors department for some Fashion Week fun. Yesterday we exited the moving stairs right in front of a Fit-Bit display and wondered if this would be a good fit for our foray of the day.
This is a locked case and the store is seriously devoid of not only customers, but associates as well. We stood there looking and couldn't see any price tags. Ready to mosey on, an associate appeared; she was obviously on lunch, brown paper bag in hand, asking if us we needed help. She summoned someone to assist. But the key didn't fit, and then she couldn't find the other key ring, and she finally told us the price range, but no specifics, and my daughter said, politely "That's OK. I can look on-line"
And that's it, isn't it? A generation of young adults who shop differently than we ever imagined. Why wait for a clerk, when a mouse is just a click away from informing us in ways that can overwhelm and educate. Why venture out, park, walk, search endlessly for assistance when one can stay home in jammies, hot tea in hand, and spend money just like that! Easy peasy.
Next stop - Home Depot. This is really the grand-daddy of big stores. Boulder's store is two stories! Steps or an elevator (What? No escalator?) bring one up to appliances and that is where we headed first. Here a very nice, well informed young man was super helpful. What a refreshing change from the dungeon we just escaped from! But downstairs, looking for two small items, no help in sight. My daughter whips out her phone, presses a few buttons and tells me that tape measures are in aisle 7- bin 2. I am impressed. Youth and technology reigned again.
Driving back to my daughter's new place, I am reflective. 'Retail' laments that people are foregoing traditional avenues of shopping, yet try as we might, the experience is not pleasant. It really is easier to go online, store all the pertinent info for ease of completion, and get what we want. In just one or two days. Plus, it could be fun to play Porch Pirate relay and get home before the parcel disappears. But that problem is solved by having pick-up lockers either at a central location for housing complexes or at your local Whole Foods. Amazon thinks of everything.
So you know, I am not advocating shopping at Amazon. I am just ruminating. I was about halfway through this post and had to go to a meeting. I decided to run a couple of errands en route home. Michael's for thread and upholstery needles. Walgreen's to pick up some photos. I couldn't find a clerk anywhere in Michael's and almost gave up after two jaunts around the store. In the end, they didn't have all of what I wanted, but I bought one item utilizing their enticement of a 40% discount off one full price item. I can't even tell you how many times the clerk asked for my phone number and email address before the coupon would activate. Can I just check out? One item shouldn't take 10 minutes. My $2.01 sale lost them money in time and labor.
Walgreen's was no better. Three bags of nuts for $10.00 and a BOGO at $2.99 should ring up at thirteen bucks and change. I may not be good at math, but I can muddle through money. The photos were prepaid - thank goodness, or I may never have gotten out of there. My total? $20.52. So, here comes the manager, and he jogs around the store price checking and oh! guess what? this customer is right! Sorry, voids and re-rings and it still isn't correct. I'm ready to leave $13.50 on the counter and tell them to figure it out while I get a tooth extracted. That might have been less painful.
We couldn't find anything over in this section either. We were looking for a simple, everyday drinking glass set. The kind that comes a dozen to the box in three sizes. One size that is actually useful, an oversized goblet, and a miniscule juice glass. The kind that costs four dollars and lasts for two good sips at a hipster breakfast joint.
Up the escalator we went and more memories seep in. The last time I visited Macy's 34th St., about 15 years ago, the upper floors still had the original escalators. Narrow and wooden, they made a rickety-rick sound as this same daughter and I wended our way up to the Juniors department for some Fashion Week fun. Yesterday we exited the moving stairs right in front of a Fit-Bit display and wondered if this would be a good fit for our foray of the day.
This is a locked case and the store is seriously devoid of not only customers, but associates as well. We stood there looking and couldn't see any price tags. Ready to mosey on, an associate appeared; she was obviously on lunch, brown paper bag in hand, asking if us we needed help. She summoned someone to assist. But the key didn't fit, and then she couldn't find the other key ring, and she finally told us the price range, but no specifics, and my daughter said, politely "That's OK. I can look on-line"
And that's it, isn't it? A generation of young adults who shop differently than we ever imagined. Why wait for a clerk, when a mouse is just a click away from informing us in ways that can overwhelm and educate. Why venture out, park, walk, search endlessly for assistance when one can stay home in jammies, hot tea in hand, and spend money just like that! Easy peasy.
Next stop - Home Depot. This is really the grand-daddy of big stores. Boulder's store is two stories! Steps or an elevator (What? No escalator?) bring one up to appliances and that is where we headed first. Here a very nice, well informed young man was super helpful. What a refreshing change from the dungeon we just escaped from! But downstairs, looking for two small items, no help in sight. My daughter whips out her phone, presses a few buttons and tells me that tape measures are in aisle 7- bin 2. I am impressed. Youth and technology reigned again.
Driving back to my daughter's new place, I am reflective. 'Retail' laments that people are foregoing traditional avenues of shopping, yet try as we might, the experience is not pleasant. It really is easier to go online, store all the pertinent info for ease of completion, and get what we want. In just one or two days. Plus, it could be fun to play Porch Pirate relay and get home before the parcel disappears. But that problem is solved by having pick-up lockers either at a central location for housing complexes or at your local Whole Foods. Amazon thinks of everything.
So you know, I am not advocating shopping at Amazon. I am just ruminating. I was about halfway through this post and had to go to a meeting. I decided to run a couple of errands en route home. Michael's for thread and upholstery needles. Walgreen's to pick up some photos. I couldn't find a clerk anywhere in Michael's and almost gave up after two jaunts around the store. In the end, they didn't have all of what I wanted, but I bought one item utilizing their enticement of a 40% discount off one full price item. I can't even tell you how many times the clerk asked for my phone number and email address before the coupon would activate. Can I just check out? One item shouldn't take 10 minutes. My $2.01 sale lost them money in time and labor.
Walgreen's was no better. Three bags of nuts for $10.00 and a BOGO at $2.99 should ring up at thirteen bucks and change. I may not be good at math, but I can muddle through money. The photos were prepaid - thank goodness, or I may never have gotten out of there. My total? $20.52. So, here comes the manager, and he jogs around the store price checking and oh! guess what? this customer is right! Sorry, voids and re-rings and it still isn't correct. I'm ready to leave $13.50 on the counter and tell them to figure it out while I get a tooth extracted. That might have been less painful.
Driving home, alone, I am equally reflective to yesterday's ponderance. Why do I even need to go to Walgreen's? I can't get my prescriptions there. It is always a hassle. Leaving their parking lot is a left turn home, and I DO avoid those at all costs. As far as my visit to Michael's, well I still need to go to JoAnne's, or maybe I'll try to buy one solitary spool of jewel-tone blue thread on-line.
There was a saying when I was growing up. "Does Macy's tell Gimbels?". Simply put it meant, you don't tell your competition what you are up to. And Macy's was the bigger of the two. Saying my dad worked at Gimbels always seemed second best. How would this translate today? Does Amazon tell anybody, anything? Did Macy's tell us something without saying a single word? From 2000 to 2016, Macy's closed 90 stores. Wasn't that telling enough?
The Macy's located about two miles from where I live is slated to close at the end of 2020. The same shopping area, had a Sears that closed just before the Holiday season in 2018. Both pieces of real estate are being developed to have 400 apartments on each site. Where will these newbies to Colorado shop? On-line.
These new apartments will undoubtedly sport all of the latest amenities; Resident Happy Hours, trash pick-up nightly at your door, access to public transportation, rooftop pools and of course they will be cable-ready with high speed internet access. In a strange twist of retail fate, these 800+ apartment dwellers will shop at home, devices on, cold brew coffee in hand in the very spot(s) where the stores Amazon put under used to stand. They might even hear a ghost of a whisper... Can I help you, Ma'am? The whisper of a ghost... What may I do for you today, sir?
Time to Write,
Jane
There was a saying when I was growing up. "Does Macy's tell Gimbels?". Simply put it meant, you don't tell your competition what you are up to. And Macy's was the bigger of the two. Saying my dad worked at Gimbels always seemed second best. How would this translate today? Does Amazon tell anybody, anything? Did Macy's tell us something without saying a single word? From 2000 to 2016, Macy's closed 90 stores. Wasn't that telling enough?
The Macy's located about two miles from where I live is slated to close at the end of 2020. The same shopping area, had a Sears that closed just before the Holiday season in 2018. Both pieces of real estate are being developed to have 400 apartments on each site. Where will these newbies to Colorado shop? On-line.
These new apartments will undoubtedly sport all of the latest amenities; Resident Happy Hours, trash pick-up nightly at your door, access to public transportation, rooftop pools and of course they will be cable-ready with high speed internet access. In a strange twist of retail fate, these 800+ apartment dwellers will shop at home, devices on, cold brew coffee in hand in the very spot(s) where the stores Amazon put under used to stand. They might even hear a ghost of a whisper... Can I help you, Ma'am? The whisper of a ghost... What may I do for you today, sir?
Time to Write,
Jane
