Case Study: The Finish Line Inc.

Macy operates in department store retail industry. The U.S. Department Store industry includes over 3500 stores with combined annual revenue of $70 billion representing 20% of the global industry. Department stores in the US increased at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4% between 2004 and 2009. The US Department store product mix includes a variety of products such as women, men, and children apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and home and furniture. Clothing and footwear market sales accounted for a 53% share of the department stores retail format in 2009 (DataMonitor).

Macy’s enjoys economies of scale giving them purchasing power with their suppliers and the ability to reduce operating costs by spreading fixed costs over a larger base; due to this process Macy’s buys in bulk which locks in larger discounts they can pass on to the consumer creating a win/win situation. This purchasing power allows them to control a larger section of the market and protects them from smaller retailers purchasing the same product. Macy’s sales equal $27.82B with a gross profit of $11.21B. Most analysts recommended buying Macy’s stock last month with 6 analysts predicting a strong performance. Dillard’s revenue is $6.69B and J.C. Penny Corporation revenue is reported at $12.98B for the same time period. (Macy’s (M), 2014). Macy’s, Inc. is currently trading at $57.11 (Macy’s (M), 2014) with a 52-week high of

Based on The Running Room’s current situation, Cisco considers a number of alternatives to her present marketing strategy. On one hand, she could continue to maintain a broad target market to appeal to both casual athletes--with more fashion-conscious products that aren’t necessarily running shoes--and serious runners, while attempting to tap into the growing market for women’s athletic shoes with expanded product lines for female athletes. This strategy would help her maintain her aging loyal customers, as she could offer athletic shoes that reflect the new exercise programs that they are becoming involved in instead of running. Conversely, she could narrow her target market to just serious runners, by investing in the high-end molded running shoes and the additional training and promotion that would be required to sell them. An analysis of The Running Room’s strengths and weaknesses can help her determine that the second strategy is the most worthwhile to pursue moving forward. As a former nationally-ranked runner herself, and with both a proven track record for catering to serious runners (who make up a majority of her sales) as well as the flexibility to switch product lines fairly easily, Cisco’s business strengths would support a shift to a more serious runner target market with relative

Due to the economy downturn period, Macy’s and many other retailers were suffering. Fortunately, Macy’s has chosen the beneficial marketing strategy to fit the objective of business. This paper will analyze the company’s situation from its financial aspect, industry aspect, the competitive part and Macy’s marketing strategies to conclude that Macy’s could have stable profit in the next three to five years.

Unlike Starbucks, Macy’s is not doing very well, as evidenced by the fact they announced last month the impeding closure of 68 stores (Peterson, 2017). The company has been struggling for a few years with the growth of the internet and online businesses such as Amazon making their brick and mortar stores impractical in modern times. While the number of stores may not seem like as much of a problem as it is, as other companies have had to close down more in recent years or go out of business in general, this is a symptom of larger problems in both the company and the industry.

The company is battling discounters by exploring an off-price store format and inaugurated six stores with this style in the New York metropolitan area. Macy's Backstage offers apparel, fashion accessories, shoes, home textiles, housewares, and jewelry. On the other hand, Macy's is also investing in the Omni-channel strategy and began selling in China via a joint venture. Additionally, to attract the millennial's generation, Macy’s renovated a floor of its store in New York City, and called it "One Below." It gives a hint at what is going to occur in the retail stores throughout the country. The company restored the basement level of the store into what it believes is a millennial

Macy’s, Inc. is known as the Great American Department Store was established in 1858 and now has 810 stores operating in the United States, coast-to-coast. Macy’s stores nationwide are grouped into 69 geographic districts that average ten to twelve stores each. Most stores are located at urban or suburban areas. As of January 30, 2010, the Company’s operations were conducted through four retail operating divisions – Macy’s, macys.com, Bloomingdale’s, and bloomingdales.com. The Company is a retail organization operating retail stores and Internet websites under two brands (Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s) that sell a wide range of merchandise, including men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings and other

Consumers are always satisfied with good customer service. When it comes to retail store customer service and satisfaction it is important because department stores are large in size and finding help can be difficult. Colloquy, a company concerned with building customer value, released a survey and asked 3,000 consumers across five geographical areas to rate their personal experiences with retailers. Macy’s was ranked number one in the department store category, with the most loyal customers. To keep up with technology advances Macy’s has invested time and money into developing a more efficient online shopping site, Macys.com and Macysweddingchannel. This investment cost nearly $300 million in 2006-2008 is being used to scale-up these fast-growing businesses through improvements in delivery efficiency, online site functionality and customer service. To enhance the shopping experience at Macy’s 100 stores in 2007 experienced remodeling and began introducing the most advanced POS registers and systems to the sales floors nationwide. Macy’s passion is product and people. There continuing pursuit is to have unique fashionable merchandise ready for customer satisfaction. Macy’s promise is to always carry the best brands and the most-wanted items. They also believe in hiring the right employees. With the right employees, there will be a sense of motivation and helpfulness. The American Customer Satisfaction Index covers 200 companies’ products and

The Macy’s Corporation was founded in October 1858, and they are headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The corporation focuses on internet sales in the United States, and they employ 166,900 full-time employees. Macy’s sells a range of merchandise, everything from apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. Similar to Kohl’s, Macy’s sells a special range of clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry and footwear. As of January 20, 2016, it operated approximately 900 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico under the Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s Outlet, Macy’s Backstage, and Blue Mercury names; as well as Websites, including macys.com, bloomingdales.com, and bluemercury.com (M Profile | Macy 's Inc. Common Stock - Yahoo! Finance). In addition, Macy’s operates as a

Macy’s Inc. has a very strong network all over in the United States under its two main brand names but the company has very weak geographic presence. All of its business functions are in the United States. Any changes in the economic, political, legal, and social framework of the country will have direct impact on the business operations of Macy’s Inc. and its profitability will suffer many folds.

Finish Line, Inc. is the second largest leader athletic based company in the United States. The company was founded in 1976 and now operates over 600 stores in 48 states. Finish Line is the franchise company of the Athlete’s Foot in Indianapolis, Indiana. By 1981, the company expanded beyond the 10 franchises they owned. The Athlete’s Foot franchising rights were to operate franchises within the borders of Indiana, so the owners decided to start their own company and named it The Finish Line. Prior to the company being traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol FINL, its annual gross was nearly $100 million. The company has significantly expanded selections and product lines—a typical store will show 600 to

The financial data will support the strategy as the ratios and numbers show that Macy’s has resources and capital available for the implementation. Evaluation of external and internal factors positively presenting an opportunity for Macy’s to use designed strategy to and keep competitiveness in the industry. Summarizing Macy’s is a well-established organization with over 150 successful years in business that still has an ability to compete with leaders in the industry if the right

Macy's Inc. is one of the nation's largest and well known department store chains. Started over 150 years ago, Macy's has continually generated excellent returns for its shareholders and employees. Currently, in the midst of a global recession, Macy's has generated huge profits with same store sales increasing 5.3% year to date. In 2012 same store sales increased 4.6% in the month of February alone (Macy's Inc., 2012). In fact, throughout the duration of 2012, Macy's is projecting even larger profits for its underlying business operations. Even though Macy's has experienced success with both its assortments and brand, its competitors haven't faired so well. Sears, due in part to part to a lackluster holiday season, has been forced to close nearly 120 locations to generate excess liquidity in an effort to shore up its balance sheet (Isidore, 2011).Other competitors who cater specifically to the middle class consumer have also lost significant amounts of market share as consumers trade down due to the economy. This performance is primarily due to the core functions and operations of the business. Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Macy's excels at these forms of management, which has allowed the company to perform at a higher level relative to its peers in the industry.

“I’m in love with all these shoes and clothing!” I thought to myself as I first walked into Finish Line. When I stumbled upon Finish Line I knew this was the right store for me. I’m an 8th grader at Silver Hills Middle School. This company is honestly important to myself and others that I know of. I love exercising and especially if I’m working out in the right clothes. There are clothes and shoes from Finish Line that my family has bought and liked throughout our family history. To this day, my family and myself have been shopping at Finish Line if we ever need anything comfortable to wear. Finish Line is able to sell 24 types of clothing and shoes and that’s what I love. I know people speak greatly about your company and how it is useful to them. I also love how the workers are helpful and always persuade the customers to buy their items. But are you getting enough customers?

Macy's is one of the premier retailer franchises within the United States. To begin, Macy's Inc. is one of the nation's largest and well known department store chains. Started over 150 years ago, Macy's has continually generated excellent returns for its shareholders and employees. Currently, in the midst of a global recession, Macy's has generated huge profits with same store sales increasing 5.3% year to date. In 2012 same store sales increased 4.6% in the month of February alone (Macy's Inc., 2012). In fact, throughout the duration of 2012, Macy's is projecting even larger profits for its underlying business operations. Even though Macy's has experienced success with both its assortments and brand, its competitors haven't faired so well. Sears, due in part to part to a lackluster holiday season, has been forced to close nearly 120 locations to generate excess liquidity in an effort to shore up its balance sheet (Isadora, 2011).Other competitors who cater specifically to the middle class consumer have also lost significant amounts of market share as consumers trade down due to the economy. Macy's, with its ride array of assortments and products continues to grow as it attempts to capture market share from failing competitors. Macy's is also unique as it operates in a unique market demographic. It is upscale, but not to the extent of Saks Fifth Avenue or a Nordstrom. It is also not as low scale as a JC Penny