Macy’s Shoe Salon: The World’s Largest Shoe Floor

Challenge

As part of a comprehensive renovation of its 2.2-million-square-foot Herald Square flagship store over a four-year period, Macy’s decided to relocate the women’s shoes department from the third and fourth floors to the second floor, in order to give the category more selling space than any other retailer of women’s shoes in the world—39,000-square-feet for selling space, and 65,000-square-feet in total.

SOLUTION

For a complete renovation of this magnitude, our interior design work included reimagining the entire floor: all space planning; the design and documentation of all new walls, ceilings, flooring, and fixtures; and developing enhanced technology for international visitors. Our wide-ranging plan also added new escalators and several luxury vendors new to Macy’s in a two-level luxury wing for accessories and shoes. We incorporated four interconnected grand halls, each hall presenting merchandise by lifestyle. Four large nooks adjacent to each hall are designated for marked-down shoes, each nook reflecting a New York City neighborhood or borough.

One terminus culminates with the luxurious Herald Square Café, offering exotic, rare, and exquisite coffees; a variety of fine chocolates; and a selection of premium champagne and wine. We have greatly enhanced the shopping experience by exposing the long-hidden windows of Broadway, and adding an interior clock face to complement the refurbished historic clock on the Broadway façade. The artfully encased fluted columns are reminiscent of Macy’s early days.