Step aside New Coke....Our prediction is that rebranding Marshall Fields as Macys will be soon be studied as one the greatest corporate blunders yet

What can you say? Here we are a year later after Macy's re-branded hundreds of regional department stores, including Chicago's beloved Marshall Fields, and the fields fans chicago.org protest web site is still going strong.

The numbers are rather remarkable:

"Since last fall, Field's Fans have so far distributed over 66,000 leaflets on State Street, at civic events and elsewhere reminding Chicagoans that Field's can indeed come back as the result of a sustained customer boycott of Macy's. Over 63,000 lapel stickers and pin-on buttons that say "Keep It Marshall Field's," "Marshall Field's Forever, " and "I Want My Marshall Field's" have been distributed to Field's Fans worldwide. Thousands of bumper stickers that say "Field's Is Chicago/Boycott Macy's" have also been distributed. These activities have received international media attention, with coverage by Reuters, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Post, CBS Sunday Morning, WGN, National Public Radio, Chicago Public Radio, the local and national television news reports of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, and more."

Their blog is really a great read. Macy's certainly underestimated the impact of eliminating the Marshall Fields name. And it now appears the movement has moved nation wide with particular disdain for the newly branded Macy stores found in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Florida, and Boston. Just read the comments from an ever growing list of nation-wide postings who are not afraid to vent their frustrations with the changes made to their department stores by Macys.


Our prediction is that this Christmas will be the final nail in the coffin for the re-branded Macy stores, especially in Chicago. The CEO will finally run out of reasons...weather seems to be the primary reason, while competitors post sales gain...to blame for falling sales and Wall Street will finally demand a change. Macy's share price has dropped more than 20% this year. Changes to the better are in the future. Any department store that kindles this kind of affection deserves to be resurrected.