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A New York icon for nearly 150 years, Bloomingdale’s is a beloved luxury retailer operating 33 stores and 22 outlet locations across the country, as well as bloomingdales.com.
1872, New York. “A Store Is Born.” To think it all started with a 19th century fad – the hoop skirt. That was the first item that Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale carried in their Ladies’ Notions Shop in New York’s Lower East Side. In the late 1800’s, most fashion retailers specialised in just one type of garment. Not the brothers Bloomingdale – their East Side Bazaar, opened in 1872, sold a wide variety of European fashions. It was the beginning of what would become a “Department Store”.
In 1886 came the visionary move uptown to 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. The store expanded steadily and by the 1920’s, Bloomingdale’s converted an entire city block. Flexing his marketing muscle, Lyman created splashy campaigns to bring people in the door. People started seeing the “All Cars Transfer to Bloomingdale’s” slogan everywhere – on billboards, delivery wagons, and even ladies’ beach umbrellas. In the 1940’s Print ads couldn’t say it all. The store had to be experienced. So Bloomingdale’s became the stage for gala events and fashion shows, including “Woman Of The Year, 1947.” With music, lighting and sophistication, it was retailing as theater.
Sixties saw the luxury shopping mall evolve. Focusing on the mantra, “It’s not just what you buy – it’s what you take it home in, too,” in 1961, the Bloomingdale’s team came up with the first designer shopping bags. Since then, many have become collector’s items. By the following decade, it was not a store, Bloomingdale’s was a destination; everyone was stopping by 59th Street and Lexington Avenue for a look, including the late Queen Elizabeth. People came to see and to be seen. Once there, they were dazzled by the cutting-edge fashion of designers like Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis and Norma Kamali, who got their first truly big opportunities at Bloomingdale’s.
In 1994, Bloomingdale’s, which was a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores, underwent major structural changes. The Macy’s department store chain joined the Federated Department Stores holding company. In 2007, Federated Department Stores was renamed Macy’s, Inc. As of October 29, 2022, there are 54 stores including 32 department stores, 1 Bloomies, 1 furniture store and 20 outlet stores with the Bloomingdale’s nameplate in operation throughout the United States. Its headquarters and flagship store are located at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue in the New York City borough of Manhattan.
Today, Bloomingdale’s is committed to once again lead the way with exclusive merchandise, customised services, and alternative shopping venues. The company operate 33 stores and 19 outlets across the country, an outpost in Dubai, as well as bloomingdales.com. Carrying on the Bloomingdale’s brothers’ dream, the team is always finding ways to set its stores apart. That’s both the legacy and the promise of Bloomingdale’s, seen in the recent launch of its virtual shopping mall.
“We believe we have a responsibility to our colleagues, customers, and community to help build a more equitable, sustainable future for all. We commit to change, push for progress, and work to protect our resources for the next generation.”
The iconic shopping mall retails apparel, accessories, footwear, leather goods, home ware, furniture, jewellery and beauty products.
Tony Spring, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer; Scott Zettell, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer; Frank Berman, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
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