What Is the Size of the World's Biggest Retail Store? By Barbara Farfan Updated September 14, 2016 Question: What Is the World's Largest Retail Store? And what is the size of the biggest retail store in the world today? Although Macy's Department Store at Herald Square in New York City was the world's largest retail store for many years, since 2009 the world has a different "largest" retail store, if you measure "large" by size, square footage, or retail floor space. Answer: Since March, 2009, the world's largest retail store is Shinsegae Centumcity Department Store, located in Busan, South Korea. With 3.163 million square feet in one retail location, the Shinsegae destination flagship store in Cetumcity beat out the Herald Square Macy's Department Store in New York City for the title of "world's largest" by more than a million square feet. The English translation of "Shinsegae" is "new world," and, from a retailing perspective, the name does not disappoint.

Since the Shinsegae Centumcity Department Store is larger that most of the shopping malls in the U.S., it's not surprising that the Shinsegae Centumcity is much more like a mall itself, rather than just a normal retail store. In addition to the usual men's, women's and children's apparel, shoes, and accessories, some of the features of the Shinsegae Centumcity Department Store include: After Sales Service Tiffany & Co. Van Cleef & Arpel Shinsegae Centumcity is just one store in the Shinsegae retail chain. Not only is Shinsegae the largest retail chain in South Korea, it also has these distinctions: Korea's first department store First retailer in Korea to accept credit cards First Korean department store to sign partnerships with foreign brands Other Mega-Sized Retail Stores And World Record Holders The World's Largest Bookstore - Depending on how you measure "largest," there are three different bookstores with legitimate claims to the "World's Largest Bookstore" title. They are Barnes & Noble in New York, The World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto, and Powell's Book Store in Portland, Oregon.

The World's Largest Shoe Store - Even more controversial than the claims to the World's Largest Bookstore title are the three stores that lay claim to the World's Largest Shoe Store title. Macy's, Selfridge's, and Level Shoe District in Dubai all have laid claim to the World's Largest title and for good reason. The World's Largest Convenience Store - There's no controversy about the world's largest convenience store, which boasts 60 gas pumps and 67,000 square feet of retail convenience store space. Largest Retail Sales Per Square Foot - Apple retail stores have proven that size doesn't matter as much as the customer experience by continuing to lead the U.S. retail industry in terms of sales per square foot. The latest record-breaking number for Apple retail stores is $4,798.82 per square foot, no matter how big or small any individual retail store is. The World's Biggest One-Day Retail Expansion - Telenor India holds the world record for the "Most Stores Launched Simultaneously" in the Guiness Book of World Records.

On August 26, 2015 Telenor India opened 472 new retail stores , which is the largest number of retail store outlets opened by a single retail company in history. With these 472 simultaneous store openings, Telenor India broke its own record of 362 store openings in a single day, which it had set in April, 2014. Continue Reading Macy's the World's Largest Store Macy's the World's Largest Store Macy's: the World's Largest Store Macy's: The World's Largest store In the middle of bustling Herald Square in New York City, sits an icon: Macy's NYC. The world's largest Macy's store is the premier name in not only today's shopping world but in shopping history. What started out as a dried-goods store in 1858, has supplied the American people so often that the store itself is a part of the culture, especially in NYC. Whether it's riding the original wooden escalators throughout the 11 floors, shopping at exclusive NYC stores, or eating at some incredible NY restaurants, there's something for everyone who wants to take this bite out of the Big Apple.

Macy's NY Location Macy's from 6th Avenue and 34th Street Sitting on Broadway between 34th and 35th streets, Macy's flagship store is a spot for tourists and residents alike. Covering an entire city block, the massive New York landmark is a must-see NYC attraction. The New York City Macy's also has entrances on 7th Avenue and 34th Street, as well as on 34th Street between 7th Avenue and Broadway. Hotels Near Macy's Manhattan For those travelers that are looking to stay near this shopping mecca, there are plenty of top NY hotels and affordable NYC hotel deals within blocks of Macy's in New York City: Wingate Hotel Midtown Manhattan : The Wingate Hotel in Midtown Manhattan is one of the best hotels in New York City, with a modern architectural design and top-rate amenities. It's also conveniantly located near Madison Square Garden and of course, Macy's in Manhattan. Hotel Metro NYC : This midtown hotel is one the best cheap hotels in Manhattan. It has 181 guestrooms and suites, and is conveniently located just blocks from Macy's NYC department store. Hilton Garden Inn West 35th St.

: The Hilton Garden is just a short walk or cab ride away from the New York City Macy's and the Empire State Building . Offering comfortable accommodations in an excellent NYC tourist location, visitors will get a great NY hotel deal when staying here. New York Macy's Visitors Center Macy's Visitor Center The NYC Macy's Visitor Center, located on floor 1.5 near the 34th St. entrance, is unlike any other. The Visitor Center in the world's largest Macy's store is stocked with a professional staff that goes above and beyond the call of duty. Not only does the NY Macy's visitor center check coats and packages, provide shopping assistance and beverages; they also provide guidance and information for visitors to the City in a multitude of languages. The NY Macy's Visitor Center can provide brochures, maps, and even book tickets and hotels. Not to mention tons of useful information about the many parts of Macy's as well. Also, international visitors can show their passport and pick up a discount card worth 11% savings at the New York City Macy's. Macy's NYC Photo Tour Sorry, your browser doesnt support iframes.

Hotels near Macy's Full BarKid FriendlyOutdoor SeatingPrivate RoomWine SpecialistFamous ChefHappy HourPrix Fixe MenuBuffet Cost Per Meal at the Radisson Martinique Broadway NYC Full BarKid FriendlyOutdoor SeatingPrivate RoomWine SpecialistFamous ChefHappy HourPrix Fixe MenuBuffet Cost Per Meal at the Radisson Martinique Broadway NYC Full BarKid FriendlyOutdoor SeatingPrivate RoomWine SpecialistFamous ChefHappy HourPrix Fixe MenuBuffet Cost Per Meal at the Hotel Stanford New York Full BarKid FriendlyOutdoor SeatingPrivate RoomWine SpecialistFamous ChefHappy HourPrix Fixe MenuBuffet Cost Per Meal at the The Dylan Hotel New York Full BarKid FriendlyOutdoor SeatingPrivate RoomWine SpecialistFamous ChefHappy HourPrix Fixe MenuBuffet Cost Per Meal Transportation in New York City From: More Transportations... *Terms & Conditions: Offers, promotions and rates subject to change and may vary based upon date, length of stay and other factors. Some offers do not include taxes and fees. All offers based on availability and are subject to change without notice.

The Cellar at Macy's in New York City The Cellar Located on the bottom floor of the NYC Macy's, as the name indicates, the Cellar is a foodie's dream. The Cellar houses both a gourmet restaurant and miles of gourmet cookware. From high-end pots and pans to generic brand whisks and ladles, the Cellar has everything a kitchen could ever ask for. There are 3 restaurants in the Cellar, each with something unique to offer. The Cellar Bar and Grill offers burgers and fries, crab cakes and pasta among other delectable items. The restaurant bar also delights many a weary traveler with an ice cold beer or soda. Cucina & Co. is both a NY Mediterranean restaurant and market place, featuring Mediterranean cuisine and groceries. From hearty pasta dishes to braised beef short-ribs, Cucina & Co. will satisfy any visitor's appetite. For the visitor with a sweet tooth, the Cellar also has Australian Homemade's chocolates and ice cream. Shops at Macy's NY Visitors and locals alike can find the world's largest selection of merchandise in New York's Macy's, the world's largest store.

The largest store in the world has 11 floors of merchandise with a diverse and unique selection for nearly all visitors. From mattresses and furniture to table linens and cosmetics, NYC Macy's has everything a department store could offer. The DNKY boutique Macy's itself offers a huge selection of fine men's and women's clothing as well. There are numerous high-quality brands under the Macy's family alone: Epic Threads, American Rag, and Style & Co. among others. But it also contains a diverse collection of boutiques featuring the world's top designers. Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss, DKNY, and Donna Karan are just some of the high-end labels you can find at Macy's. Santa Visits Macy's Store New York New York's holiday icon, Macy's, is also a great place to see another holiday icon: Santa. Thousands of kids every year line up at Macy's to sit on Santa Claus' lap and have their picture taken. While the parents and kids wait in line, they're given refreshments and aided by holiday helpers; talking trees and magical elves.

Any visitor will be in awe of the wide array of holiday decorations coating the 12,000 square feet of the 8th floor. If you're visiting Macy's during the holidays, this is surely the place to be. Admission is free. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the second-longest running Thanksgiving parade in America. Another part of Macy's iconic legacy is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade , which is the second-longest running Thanksgiving parade in America. The parade runs a 6 mile track from Central park West to Herald Square, where Macy's is located. On top of the famous giant floats, the parade also features musical performances from Broadway shows, popular musicians of the time, and the Radio City Rockettes, a parade staple. The 3 hour parade is covered on national television every year, and starts promptly at 9am. For every visitor to New York City, Macy's, the world's largest store, is the perfect complement to a Big Apple trip.

Stores - The History of Department Stores The History of Department Stores Stores More stores News Discussion Jan's books Michael's books American department stores "In considering the social effects of the department store, one is inclined to attach the greatest importance to the contributions which they have made to the transformation in the way of life of the greatest strata of the population, a transformation which will remain the one great social fact of these last 100 years." -- Hrant Pasdermadjian, The Department Store, Its Origins, Evolution and Economics, 1954 Hudson's in Detroit, second largest department store in sales volume in the 1960s. The Big Stores The three biggest department stores in the mid-1960s, both in sales volume and physical size, were Macy's, Hudson's, and Marshall Field, in that order. Hudson's, shown here, had 25 stories, 16 of them selling floors. Two of its four below-ground floors were basement stores, where 60 departments did up to 25% of the store's business.

At its peak in mid-century, Hudson's employed up to 12,000 employees and welcomed 100,000 shoppers a day. It had its own telephone exchange (CApitol), and the nation's third largest switchboard, exceeded only by the Pentagon and the Bell System itself. Restaurant reviewer Duncan Hines loved Hudson's tea rooms. In the 1947 edition of Adventures in Good Eating he wrote: "This splendid department store has devoted the greater part of a floor to the tea rooms. The food is at all times very tempting and the service has that quality of quiet elegance which adds so much to the pleasure of dining. ... Don�t overlook the dining room on the mezzanine, if you happen to be in a bit of a hurry. Their chicken pie is outstanding." One of the grandest of the grande dames of department stores, the former Marshall Field, now Macy's. Marshall Field, the man, was a dry goods wholesaler. He wasn't fond of retailing or of the idea of selling all kinds of merchandise under one roof. Like many other people he thought department stores were low class.

Field never became really enthusiastic about his department store, said to be the brainchild of Harry Selfridge, its early manager, and later founder of Selfridge's in London. Selfridge made the store customer-friendly by improving its lighting, opening a tea room, and -- horrifying to Field -- installing a few bargain tables here and there. Nevertheless, Field's remained conservative in many of its practices. For years it curtained its show windows on Sundays, refused to display women's underwear on manikins, and wouldn't let salesclerks wear makeup. For decades the Marshall Field store wrestled with the John Wanamaker store in Philadelphia for the title of America's most prestigious large-scale, full-service department store. Although the store did poorly during the Depression, by 1945 its business was booming. It had become an institution. Reeling from the shock of Pearl Harbor, a Chicago woman exclaimed, "Nothing is left any more � except, thank God, Marshall Field�s." Macy's in Herald Square, New York City, survivor!

In 1878 a New York Times headline announced "The Great Sixth-Avenue Bazaar; Opening Day at Macy & Co.�s � A Place Where Almost Anything May Be Bought." The special attraction, the article noted, was the "universality of the stock, almost every article of dress and household furniture being for sale there, and at the most reasonable prices." In November of 1902, the store moved to its present site, but it wasn't until 1924, when it doubled its building size, that it began to really grow and to take the lead as a retailing giant. That year it presented its first holiday parade called "Fairyfolk Frolics in Wondertown." By the end of the 1920s, Macy's had become the country's largest department store. It's getting hard to keep up with Michael! notes 1858 - Rowland Hussey Macy was a Nantucket Quaker and whaler who failed several times as a store owner until he founded a "fancy dry goods" store in New York City on 6th Avenue near 14th Street in 1858.

He began selling at a fixed price for cash, discounted and advertised his merchandise. The red star tatooed on his hand as a 15-year old boy on the whaling ship Emily Morgan became the symbol of the new store. In 1866 he bought an adjoining building for expansion, and by 1872 owned four buildings and by his death in 1877 owned 11 buildings. He was one of the first owners to employ women executives, and Margaret Getschell rose from cashier in 1866 to store superintendent and husband of one of the owners. In 1887 Isidore and Nathan Straus became part owners, and bought full control in 1898. The Strauses moved the store from 14th Street to Herald Square, and in 1902 built a new store on this site where Koster & Bial's Music Hall once stood and where Thomas Edison first projected his Vitascope motion picture. The new Macy's store was proclaimed "the largest store on earth" with 9 stories and 33 elevators and 4 escalators and pneumatic tube system.

This structure grew 30 stories covering an entire city block by 1924. With a "6% less for cash" policy it attracted thousands of customers. By 1977 Macy's was the nation's 5th largest department store chain with 76 stores, sale over $1.6 billion, and full ownership of 5 regional shopping centers and 50% interest in 3 other centers. No one would have guessed that the small, fancy dry goods store that opened on the corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue in New York City in 1858 would grow to be one of the largest department store retailers in the country. But after several failed retail ventures, Rowland Hussey Macy's determination and ingenuity paid off at the age of thirty-six with the launch of R.H. Macy and Co. He adopted a red star as his symbol of success, dating back to his days as a sailor. First day sales totaled $11.06 but by the end of the first full year, sales grossed almost $90,000. By 1877, R.H. Macy & Co.

had become a full-fledged department store occupying the ground space of eleven adjacent buildings. Always the innovator, Macy's is known for several firsts that revolutionized the retail industry. Macy's was the first retailer to promote a woman, Margaret Getchell, to an executive position, making business history. Macy's pioneered such revolutionary business practices as the one-price system, in which the same item was sold to every customer at one price, and quoting specific prices for goods in newspaper advertising. Known for its creative merchandising, Macy's was the first to introduce such products as the tea bag, the Idaho baked potato and colored bath towels. Macy's was also the first retailer to hold a New York City liquor license. By November 1902, the store had outgrown its modest storefront and moved uptown to its present Herald Square location on Broadway and 34th Street, establishing an attraction for shoppers from around the world. With the store's 7th Avenue expansion complete in 1924, Macy's Herald Square became the "World's Largest Store", with over one million square feet of retail space. By 1918, R.H. Macy & Co.

was generating $36 million in annual sales. Yet, the prosperity of the retailer was never more apparent than when the company went public in 1922 and began to open regional stores and take over competing stores. In 1923, the Toledo-based department store LaSalle & Kock was acquired; the next year, Davison-Paxton in Atlanta was acquired and in 1936, the Newark-based Bamberger's was purchased. To help celebrate their new American heritage, Macy's immigrant employees organized the first Christmas Parade in 1924. The procession featured floats, bands, animals from the zoo and 10,000 onlookers, beginning a time-honored tradition now known as the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®. In 1945, the company expanded west and purchased O'Connor Moffatt and Company in San Francisco. Two years later, O'Connor Moffatt stores, including the landmark Union Square store which opened in 1866, were converted to Macy's after a survey indicated that San Franciscans would welcome the name. Macy's California broke new ground with the first department store flower show in 1946.

What began as a fragrance promotion in the cosmetics department now annually welcomes the spring season, treating visitors to a botanical, cultural and community spectacle. It caught on in New York six years later. In 1971, Macy's Union Square store's lower level, once cluttered with bargains, was transformed into "The Cellar," changing the way customers shop for housewares. Due to its success, the Herald Square store followed suit five years later. On December 19, 1994, Federated Department Stores (FDS) merged with R.H. Macy & Co., creating the world's largest premier department store company. Federated Department Stores operated over 400 department stores and more than 157 specialty stores in thirty-seven states. A & S Department Stores, purchased by FDS in 1929, were converted to the Macy's nameplate in May 1995. Also in 1995, FDS acquired the Broadway Department Stores, bringing Broadway, Emporium and Weinstocks to the Macy's family, as well as six former I. Magnin stores; some forty-six stores were converted to Macy's.

Following the lead of A & S, Jordan Marsh Department Stores of Boston, already owned by FDS, were converted to Macy's in March 1996. In January 2001, Macy's absorbed seventeen Stern's Department Stores located in New York and New Jersey. In June 2001, FDS purchased the Liberty House operations in Hawaii and Guam, bringing the proud Macy's tradition and heritage to the Pacific. As of November 2003, there are 248 Macy's stores in twenty-one states, Puerto Rico and Guam. Federated, with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one of the nation's leading department store retailers with annual sales of more than $15.4 billion. Federated currently operates more than 460 department stores in thirty-four states, Puerto Rico and Guam under the names of Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Bon-Macy's, Burdines-Macy's, Goldsmith's-Macy's, Lazarus-Macy's, and Rich's-Macy's. Federated also operates macys.com and Bloomingdale's By Mail. Top 10 Oldest U.S.

Retailers | Retail Trends | RIS News: Business/Technology Insights for Retail, Supermarket Executives Top 10 Oldest U.S. Retailers By Christina Zarrello — August 19, 2008 In one of the toughest economic climates in recent memory, it is important to note that many well run companies have survived far worse. These survivors deserve special recognition for their ability to run smart businesses and satisfy customers in all economic conditions. The retailers cited here have weathered previous downturns including the Great Depression, two world wars and the birth of modern retailing. Retail's oldest survivors have succeeded by developing an enduring brand, giving customers what they want, and adapting to changing conditions. They have also avoided piling up excessive debt, over expanding their store base, and dodged the recent wave of consolidations and retail store closings. Here is our list of the top-10 oldest retail chains that have been through it all - and have managed to find the winning recipe for longevity and retail success. 1. Brooks Brothers -1818 Brooks Brothers is the oldest surviving men's clothier in the United States. The privately owned company is owned by Retail Brand Alliance, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in New York City.

On April 7, 1818, Henry Sands Brooks opened H. & D.H. Brooks & Co. and in 1870, Brooks' four sons inherited the family business and renamed the company "Brooks Brothers". 2. Lord & Taylor-1826 Lord & Taylor, based in New York, New York, is the oldest upscale department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern United States, Lord & Taylor is owned and operated by NRDC Equity Partners. NRDC bought the chain from Federated Department Stores in October 2006 as Federated sought to concentrate on the Macy's chain. 3. Macy's - 1858 Macy's, also known as the "world's largest store," is a chain of mid-range American department stores with its flagship store in Herald Square, New York City. The retailer produces the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a well known parade which was started in Newark, New Jersey by L. Bamberger & Co. and has been held on the streets of New York City annually since 1924. 4.

A & P - 1859 The only grocery retailer to make the list, A & P was started as The Great American Tea Company, founded by George Huntington Hartford and George Gilman in New York City. It was renamed "The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company" in 1870. The company originally focused on the tea business, selling tea by mail order from a storefront in Lower Manhattan. It purchased tea directly from Chinese tea plantations and by 1876 operated 67 stores. 5. Bloomingdales -1861 Bloomingdale's is a chain of upscale American department stores owned by Macy's. Founded by brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale, Bloomies started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side. As the popularity of the hoop-skirt was declining, the brothers opened their East Side Bazaar in 1872 in a small, ordinary row house, selling a variety of garments such as ladies' skirts, corsets, "gent's furnishings", and European fashions. 6.

Saks Fifth Avenue - 1867 Saks Fifth Avenue, an upscale American department store was founded by Andrew Saks and incorporated in New York in 1902 as Saks & Company. In 1923, Saks & Co. merged with Gimbel Brothers, and in 1924, Horace Saks and Bernard Gimbel opened Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City. Today, Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises (SFAE) consists of 54 Saks Fifth Avenue stores, 48 Saks Off 5th stores, and saks.com. 7. Barnes & Noble - 1873 Barnes & Noble, the largest book retailer in the United States , operates mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered in lower Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Barnes & Noble, founded by Charles M. Barnes originated as a book-printing business. The first true bookstore was set up by his son, William, in partnership with G. Clifford Noble, in 1917 in New York City. 8.

Sears - 1886 Sears, Roebuck and Company, commonly known as Sears, is an American mid-range chain of department stores founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Roebuck From its mail order beginnings, the company grew to become the largest retailer in the United States by the mid-20th century, and its catalogs became famous. Competition and changes in the demographics of its customer base challenged the company after World War II as its rural and inner city strongholds shrank and the suburban markets grew. Eventually its catalog program was largely discontinued. Sears merged with Kmart in early 2005, creating the Sears Holdings Corporation. 9. Belk - 1888 Belk, a Monroe, North Carolina-based department store chain, grew in size and influence throughout the South via numerous partnerships and acquisitions over more than a century. The partnership-based corporations, numbering more than 100, were consolidated in 1998 into a single corporation. Belk is currently the largest privately held department store chain in the United States, with its stores primarily located in the Southern United States. 10. Abercrombie & Fitch - 1892 Founded by David T.

Abercrombie, A&F had been an outfitter of sporting and excursion goods. It struggled financially from the late 1960s until it was purchased by The Limited in 1988 and repositioned as the "Casual Luxury" lifestyle brand in present day. This American lifestyle brand and company markets youth apparel under five banners: the namesake flagship brand Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister Co., Ruehl No.925, and Gilly Hicks. Other retailers that deserve special longevity recognition for their ability to survive include: Bon-Ton (1898), Nordstrom (1901), JCPenney (1902), and Steinmart (1902). In order to qualify for this list, retailers must have 10 or more store locations in the U.S. or have surpassed sales of $100 million. The brand name must also be in continuous operation. The list was compiled from Web research, industry sources, and reaching out to retail experts. We look forward to hearing from anyone that has additional candidates that make the list.

Macy's Department Store, New York City Macy's Department Store From one man's dream of building a "fine" dry goods shop came the world's largest department store and one of the most famous ever built. History of Macy's Herald Square When Rowland Hussey Macy opened his "fancy dry goods" store in 1858 on New York's 6th Avenue, little did he know that his name would long be associated with one of the most legendary stores in retail history. That little Macy's store paved the way for a number of firsts and New Yorkers soon began to flock to the store with the big red star logo (inspired by a tattoo that Mr. Macy sported) for the finest in shopping experiences. In 1862, the R. H. Macy Co. was the first department store to have an in-store Santa at Christmas time. Soon after, Mr. Macy began decorating his large windows with huge displays that would attract the attention of passers-by and prompt them to come in and browse or purchase some of his top-quality items. Macy also made headlines in 1866 when he promoted a female retail executive to the position of store manager.

Expansion By 1902, Macy's had outgrown their 6th Avenue location and found it necessary to move to a much larger location at 34th and Herald Square. Still the present location of the store, this Beaux Arts building was actually built in three stages. Bob Rutan, archivist for the department store, notes that the first section, which went half a block back from Broadway towards 7th Ave. was built first. The second part was completed in 1924 and went back to a row of 7th Ave. storefronts. The last section was completed in 1938 and replaced the storefronts on 7th Ave. Macy's expansion drive hit a stumbling block when the owner of a small five-story building at 34th and Herald Square - a hot dog lunch counter - refused to sell his property to Macy's. So Macy's decided to build around the store. The building is now disguised as a large Macy's shopping bag, but it remains a different building and store. The World's Largest Store Macy's Entrance When the 1924 section was completed, Macy's became the largest department store in the world and retained that designation for eighty-five years.

With ten stories and nearly a million items for sale, finding your way from department to department can be a daunting task! The building still sports the majestic statues that guard the entrance, placed there in 1902, and still draws crowds who enjoy peering into its elaborately decorated windows, especially at Christmas, when they're resplendent with moving figures that tell a favorite holiday story. Other Macy's Notables Everyone in the U.S. and many people abroad recognize Macy's for its connection with the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. Actually, the parade - which began in 1924 - was originally called the Christmas Parade and was started by Macy's as a way to attract customers to their new store. Macy's Herald Square was also the setting for the 1947 classic film, Miracle on 34th Street, which touted the store as home to "the one and only true Santa Claus". The film has enjoyed many remakes. Macy's is also well-known for its annual Spring Flower Show, which has been taking place for decades. During this time, the store is resplendent with spring color. Macy’s: A History - Macy’s, Inc.

Macy’s: A History Bloomingdale's: A History Section Navigation + No one would have guessed that the small, fancy dry goods store that opened on the corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue in New York City in 1858 would grow to be one of the largest retailers in the world. But after several failed retail ventures, Rowland Hussey Macy’s determination and ingenuity paid off at the age of 36 with the launch of R.H. Macy & Co. He adopted a red star as his symbol of success, dating back to his days as a sailor. First-day sales totaled $11.06 but by the end of the first full year, sales grossed approximately $85,000. By 1877, R.H. Macy & Co. had become a full-fledged department store occupying the ground space of 11 adjacent buildings. Always the innovator, Macy’s is known for several firsts that changed the retail industry. Macy’s was the first retailer to promote a woman, Margaret Getchell, to an executive position, making business history.

Macy’s pioneered such revolutionary business practices as the one-price system, in which the same item was sold to every customer at one price, and quoting specific prices for goods in newspaper advertising. Known for its creative merchandising, Macy’s was the first to introduce such products as the Idaho baked potato and colored bath towels. Macy’s also was the first retailer to hold a New York City liquor license. By November 1902, the store had outgrown its modest storefront and moved uptown to its present Herald Square location on Broadway and 34th Street, establishing an attraction for shoppers from around the world. With the store’s 7th Avenue expansion completed in 1924, Macy’s Herald Square became the “World’s Largest Store,” with more than 1 million square feet of retail space. Note that Macy’s Herald Square expanded to 1.1 million square feet of retail space in the renovation project unveiled in 2015. By 1918, R.H. Macy & Co. was generating $36 million in annual sales.

Yet, the prosperity of the retailer was never more apparent than when the company went public in 1922 and began to open regional stores and take over competing retailers. In 1923, the Toledo-based department store Lasalle & Koch was acquired; the next year, Davison-Paxton in Atlanta was acquired; and in 1936, the Newark-based Bamberger’s was purchased. To help celebrate their new American heritage, Macy’s immigrant employees organized the first Christmas Parade in 1924. The procession featured floats, bands, animals from the zoo and 10,000 onlookers, beginning a time-honored tradition now known as the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 1945, the company expanded west and purchased O’Connor Moffatt & Company in San Francisco. Two years later, O’Connor Moffatt stores, including the landmark Union Square store that opened in 1866, were converted to Macy’s after a survey indicated that San Franciscans would welcome the name. Macy’s California broke new ground with the first department store flower show in 1946.

What began as a fragrance promotion in the cosmetics department now annually welcomes the spring season, treating visitors to a botanical, cultural and community spectacle and is held in New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., in addition to San Francisco. In 1971, Macy’s Union Square store’s lower level, once cluttered with bargains, was transformed into “The Cellar,” changing the way customers shop for housewares. Due to its success, the Herald Square store followed suit five years later. On December 19, 1994, Federated Department Stores, Inc. (now known as Macy’s, Inc.) acquired R.H. Macy & Co., creating the world’s largest premier department store company. Federated Department Stores operated more than 400 department stores and 157 specialty stores in 37 states. A&S Department Stores were converted to the Macy’s nameplate in May 1995. Also in 1995, Federated acquired The Broadway Department Stores, bringing Broadway, Emporium and Weinstocks to the Macy’s family, as well as six former I. Magnin stores.

Some 46 stores were converted to the Macy’s nameplate. Following the model of A&S, Jordan Marsh Department Stores of Boston, already owned by Federated, was converted to Macy’s in March 1996. In January 2001, Macy’s absorbed 17 Stern’s Department Stores located in New York and New Jersey. In June 2001, Federated purchased the Liberty House operations in Hawaii and Guam, bringing the proud Macy’s tradition and heritage to the Pacific. Macy’s entered 2005 with about 240 locations, primarily on the East and West Coasts. With the conversion of all Federated’s regional store name-plates in March 2005, Macy’s grew to about 425 locations across the country. In September 2006, with the conversion of stores acquired from The May Department Stores Company, Macy’s now serves customers through approximately 730 stores in virtually every major geographic market in the United States, as well as the macys.com website.

New York City Top 5 Shopping Spots : New York Habitat Blog Top 5 Shopping Spots in New York City Probably one of the most popular shopping cities in the world, New York City has something to offer for everyone. From famous department stores in Midtown Manhattan to small farmers markets in Brooklyn, this city presents an array of trendy products to fit every lifestyle. The Big Apple is an especially great destination for a shopping holiday if you’re coming from Europe, as the exchange rate will be in your favor! In this article we’ll take you around town to show you our favorite places to shop. We categorized the shops into five neat sections, so you can easily spot your favorite kind of shop. We also included some shops in the greater New York area that were just too good to leave out. Without further ado: our top 5 shopping spots in New York City! 1. New York City’s Famous Shopping Streets Busy shoppers on Fifth Avenue in New York City When it comes to shopping, it’s New York’s high-end fashion streets that are probably best known throughout the world. Who hasn’t heard of Broadway or 5th Avenue?

Basically any avenue running north to south in Manhattan includes a variety of fashionable shops between 14th Street and 59th Street. This article will provide a quick overview of the best shopping streets in Manhattan and their most famous stores. Let’s start with the most famous of them all: You can’t go to New York without walking along Fifth Avenue. 5th Avenue runs from north to south all through Manhattan, and the main shopping area can be found from 14th Street up to 59th Street. 5th Avenue is best known for its luxury boutiques and big department stores. You can find an Apple Store, Bergdorf Goodman, Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, Gucci, H&M, Michael Kors, Prada, Victoria’s Secret, Tiffany & Co, and many more shops along 5th Avenue. If Fifth Avenue is the most famous street in New York, then Broadway is a close second. Being the longest street in Manhattan, it’s tough to think of Broadway as one area. Broadway starts at the tip of Northern Manhattan and runs all the way down to Lower Manhattan. In the area of the Upper West Side, you’ll find many different kinds of shops lining Broadway.

Close to Columbia there are some great college shops, while a little further down you’ll find big stores such as American Apparel and Urban Outfitters, as well as smaller boutiques. In Midtown Manhattan Broadway is of course most famous for its theaters, but you’ll also find many nice stores in this part of the city. Finally, in Lower Manhattan and Soho especially, Broadway features many famous names such as Topshop and Bloomingdales. Broadway is a popular shopping spot, and the longest street in Manhattan! Times Square may not technically be a street, but we felt it deserved a place in the list anyway. In Times Square you’ll find some fantastic big-name stores such as an M&Ms Store, a Disney Store, Sephora, a Toys R Us, and a Forever 21. For more information about this great area, check out Discover New York City’s Times Square ! Herald Square just south of Times Square is best known for Macy’s enormous flagship store, but it also has an appealing Victoria’s Secret store as well as a Gap and many others. Plus you get to shop in the shadow of the Empire State Building, which is a nice bonus.

The streets around Madison Square Park and especially around Union Square just south from Madison are all lined with awesome shops. Eataly just opposite the Flatiron Building is the place to go if you’re a fan of cooking and dining on Italian cuisine. Union Square has a great big Barnes & Noble store where you can read for hours, and on the other side of the square you’ll find a Whole Foods to do some heavy grocery shopping. To see what the square is like, check out our video tour of Union Square ! This southern side of Union Square is incidentally part of 14th Street, which is a street that runs from west to east in Lower Manhattan. On the west side 14th Street runs through the Meatpacking District where it boasts many great boutique shops, while on the east side it borders the East Village where you’ll find many fun independently run stores. 2. Shopping Malls in New York City The luxurious Time Warner Center next to Columbus Circle in Manhattan If there’s ever a time to visit a shopping mall, it’s when you’re in the United States of America. Luckily, New York City has more than a few awesome shopping malls to offer! The following are some of our favorites.

The Time Warner Center next to Columbus Circle is a big shopping center with some great luxury shops. It features Hugo Boss, Swarovski, J. Crew and more. Also don’t forget to pay a visit to the huge Whole Foods Market in the basement! For more information about the area, check out our video tour of Columbus Circle . The Manhattan Mall near Herald Square offers a selection of stores. A big JC Penney’s is the main occupant of the mall, but you’ll also find a Victoria’s Secret, Hallmark, Radio Shack and more. Grand Central Terminal is best known for its food court, where you can find all kinds of culinary delights. However, Grand Central Station also offers a large collection of miscellaneous shops, ranging from Banana Republic to Swatch. Queens Center Mall is a huge mall in Queens, which often offers better prices than the stores in Manhattan. You’ll find shops here such as Target, Best Buy, Macy’s and Designer Shoe Warehouse. The Staten Island Mall on Staten Island also offers good value for your money. Look for the sales section at H&M or browse through the huge Victoria’s Secret. The large mall has enough stores to keep you occupied for a whole afternoon.

Newport Centre is probably the biggest mall on our list. The huge mall in Jersey City offers lots of fashion stores and also has a great food court. Bath & Body Works, Forever 21 and Kohl’s are just a couple of shops you’ll find in this mall. The prices are also considerably better than in New York because of lower taxes in New Jersey. If you want to catch a movie while in New York, this mall has a great AMC theater that is a lot cheaper than those in the city! You can easily get to Newport Centre by taking the PATH train to Newport and getting off at the first stop after Manhattan. 3. New York City’s Department Stores The huge Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square in Manhattan Manhattan is famous for having some of the best-known department stores in the country. The following are just a few of the great stores the city has to offer. The flagship of Macy’s in Herald Square is truly something to behold. The store covers an entire block, and even if you don’t want to buy anything, the window displays are a sight for sore eyes. This Macy’s is just one of several more you can find in the city. The huge Macy’s in Downtown Brooklyn is also very nice and considerably less crowded.

Also note that if you’re an international visitor you can get a free 10% discount card on Macy’s website. Century 21 in Lower Manhattan is the ideal destination for discounts on designer clothes. Here is a helpful tip to fit your shopping needs: Never buy designer clothes from an expensive boutique before checking out the racks at this discount store! Chances are you’ll find the same item but considerably cheaper. Browsing the clearance section almost always unveils hidden treasures. There’s also a great branch of Century 21 on West 66th Street near Lincoln Center in the Upper West Side. Bloomingdale’s in Midtown Manhattan is a beautiful department store that doesn’t get extremely crowded. You’ll find a great selection of designer clothing here, featuring names such as Michael Kors, Hugo Boss and Steve Madden. Saks Fifth Avenue is something of an institution in New York City. The store you’ll find on 5th Avenue in Manhattan is, not surprisingly, the original Saks Fifth Avenue. This elegant flagship store is a delight to visit, and the service truly is impeccable. 4. Famous Markets in New York City The Union Square Greenmarket is the go-to place for fresh produce in Manhattan. Photo by Francois Roux.

For a whole other kind of New York, head to one of the many flea markets and farmers markets that the city has to offer. Whether you’re looking for a particular kind of vintage lamp or some of the freshest vegetables around, New York’s markets won’t let you down. There are several famous Flea Markets to be found in the city. Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market offers a wide array of antiques, vintage clothing and even original art, and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm. The Brooklyn Flea Market in Fort Green is often a little less crowded than the one in Hell’s Kitchen, but still filled with locals. Besides antiques and vintage items this flea market also offers a lot of original art and quirky jewelry. When you’re talking about markets in New York the many Food Markets of the city quickly come to mind. There are several great farmers markets in NYC. The Union Square Greenmarket is the place to go for fresh produce and local products on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays. Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, features about 80 different food vendors! Every Saturday and Sunday you can find food from all over the world here.

Other great markets include the Chelsea Market, Grand Central Market and Columbia Green Market. If you truly want to enjoy the fresh produce and exotic foods you can buy at the food markets, consider staying in a vacation rental apartment in New York City ! These apartments come with fully equipped kitchens, so you’ll be able to cook whenever you want and also save money by not going out to eat! Another great advantage of staying in an apartment is getting to feel like a New York City local. While you’re here, make sure to fully explore all the markets and stores in your neighborhood! 5. Outlet Malls in the New York Area The Outlet Collection Jersey Gardens in New Jersey The last category in our list is something that’s very popular in the New York region: outlet malls. These huge shops or malls are a bit out of the way from New York City, but they offer fantastic value for your money. All the stores in these malls offer huge discounts, so it’s definitely worth it to take a trip out of the city! The Outlet Collection Jersey Gardens offers some of the best prices in the greater New York region. This huge outlet mall features clothes from Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Ann Taylor, Forever 21 and many more popular stores.

By taking a bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal you’ll reach the Jersey Gardens within 35 minutes. The Woodbury Common Premium Outlet is an outlet store that carries items almost exclusively from high-end shops. The discounts are great, but you should still be prepared to pay a fair amount of money for clothes from designers such as Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Prada and so on.The town Westbury features several outlets, of which the most popular is The Gallery at Westbury Plaza, a Bloomingdale’s outlet. This outlet store is considerably smaller than the other two on our list, but for many people this is a good thing as it’s certainly more comprehensible. You’ll find discounts here on many famous high-end brands. We hope you’ve enjoyed this list of the top 5 shopping spots in New York City! Of course there are many more fantastic stores in the city that we didn’t get to talk about. What’s your favorite market in New York City? Related apartment rental posts from New York Habitat:

Question: The largest department store in the world is in New York City, what is its name?
Answer: MACY'S