For some time now, Macy’s has been sitting quietly in Chicago’s retail corner, attempting to appeal to some kind of market and curb the company’s tumbling earnings, all while attracting minimal attention from pissed off former Field’s customers. But while local department store equivalent Von Maur is doing well, with plans for store expansions, Macy’s continues to trim jobs (it’s called “restructuring,” y’all). The latest: an undisclosed number of support positions across the board at......

Today was supposed to by the last kernel for the popular Garrett’s Popcorn Shop on Michigan Avenue, but it’s been granted a stay for the moment. According to Garrett’s P.R. people, the lease has been extended for an unspecified amount of time. The shop has to move because the site will be redeveloped for a Ritz-Carlton condo project. The company is currently in active discussions with other landlords to open a new location along Michigan......

Macy’s announce this week that they will switch to 100% recyclable material for their 43 million shopping bags, moving away from their signature laminated bag. Photo by Timothy State. It’s with a bit of irony that the company responsible for killing the Marshall Field’s trademark green is now, itself, going green. Earlier this week, Macy’s announced they will be using recycled paper shopping bags at all its stores, as well as biodegradable packaging for......

While the Field’s Fans are too busy protesting poor customer service at Macy’s as they long for the days of Marshall Field’s, customer satisfaction for shopping scabs has increased. An annual University of Michigan Study ranking shopper satisfaction among discount and department stores and supermarkets reported Macy’s saw a 5.6% increase in customer satisfaction, ending with a score of 75 out of 100 points. Nordstrom tops the list with a score of 80, only five......

It was a rough week for Macy’s, people. 2,500 jobs cut. January same-store sales down 7.1%. Let’s just put that into perspective: sales are nowhere near expectations across the board. A survey of 43 retailers by the UBS-International Council of Shopping Centers indicated that January sales were only up 0.5%, a percentage point below the anticipated 1.5%. Macy’s, on the other hand, anticipated their sales were going to be down 4 to 6%. Retailers across......

Further evidence that Macy’s strategies are not headed in the successful direction executives hoped, Macy’s North, the division that operates Macy’s in the Midwest, announced Friday the layoff of 271 employees, citing lagging sales. Combined sales for November and December were down 1.1%, while December’s sales were down 7.9%, significantly worse than the anticipated 4 to 7 percent drop over last year. January’s same day sales are expected to dip 4 to 6 percent. 100......

The Illinois Beverage Association is really, really not psyched about the 5-cent tax on bottled water effective January 1. They're teaming with the American Beverage Association, the International Bottled Water Association, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois Food Retailers Association to sue the City once the law goes into effect. Oh, and they've sent out a press release every day for the last week to remind us all how unhappy they are about......

The State House passed legislation on Tuesday designed to bring Illinois into compliance with a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling by limiting the amount of sales an Illinois winery can directly ship to a customer to 12 cases a year. The 5-4 decision in Granholm v. Heald ruled that laws in Michigan and New York permitting the direct sale and shipping of wine produced in state to customers while prohibiting out-of-state wineries from doing the......

There's about to be some empty spaces on North Michigan Avenue, the likes of which haven't been seen on the Magnificent Mile for 15 years. Lord & Taylor will soon shutter the doors at its Water Tower Place location, and it will be 2008 before American Girl Place moves from its current spot on Chicago to take over a portion of the space. With CompUSA closing up shop on Chicago as well, retail vacancy for......

Among the many commonalities we have here at Chicagoist is that of a love for pets. The office is constantly abuzz with pictures of cats and dogs alike. Needless to say we are a little worried about the recent news that a massive recall of cat and dog food by major companies was released on Friday due to certain foods causing kidney failure and loss of appetite. Menu foods, which produces dog and cat food,......

We’re pretty used to seeing T-shirts from online retailer Threadless all over the streets of Chicago. But within six months, impatient hipsters seeking cleverly designed gear will not only be able to give in to their need for immediate gratification, but also experience the company’s website in a decidedly offline way. At the end of last year, some Flickr photos got people talking about Threadless’ plan to open its very first retail-oriented location in the......

Best Buy is looking into opening a flagship store in the heart of the downtown shopping area. Chicagobusiness.com has a write-up, including a handy map of many tech-gadgetry stores currently in the area. We are imagining ourselves cruising Michigan Avenue to check out the new and cool toys at the various flagship stores but probably not spending a bundle. At Chicagoist, when we buy tech, we know what we need and where to get it......

We don’t have much time or patience, and really, who does? And, when we walk into a store, we want to cross everything off our shopping list in one swoop. So, it doesn’t sound like too terrible an idea that Walgreen’s is planning to offer DVD rental vending machines (would you like some Zoolander with your Zyrtec?). The Tribune reported that Walgreen’s is teaming with Redbox Automated Retail to test DVD vending machines in 38......

It’s official. Big-box stores will have to pay a higher minimum wage and benefits to Chicago employees. After more than three hours of debate yesterday, the City Council voted 35-14 to approve the hotly contested big-box measure. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot and Costco will be affected by the new ordinance, as well as certain department store locations. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association is expected to fight the measure in court, claiming it......

A Bridgeport alderman wants to ban 40s in Chicago. Dammit, man, don’t take away our sunshine. Citing “public drunkenness and the litter, loitering, and public urination that come with it” Ald. James Balcer (11th) wants the current ban against selling individual bottles and cans of certain types of booze to now encompass the beloved “forty.” For the two Chicagoist readers unfamiliar with a 40oz., we’d refer you to the frequently hilarious, invariably informative, and often......

Have you ever had one of those moments like in the movies, where everything suddenly starts moving in slow motion and you can’t believe what you’ve just heard? Like when the call is coming from inside the house? That was me, when our mother recently told us she procured a KitchenAid mixer. That she got. For $60.00. Retail. Through a series of events we won’t go into here. Since our parents were in town......

Even if Bill Murray wasn’t originally from the Chicago area, we’d still plan on seeing his latest collaboration with Jim Jarmusch, Broken Flowers, which hits Piper’s Alley and the AMC River East this weekend. Chicagoist has long believed that the way to tell the really compelling actors from the lousy ones is with The Phone Book Test. That is, if an actor is really good then listening to them read the phone book will still......

Sosa claimed he left Wrigley Field during the 7th inning of Sunday's season finale, but stadium security camera show he actually left the park at 1:35pm, 20 minutes after the game began. As a result, Cubs GM Jim Hendry announced that team is fining Sosa $87,400 -- one day's pay. It's the largest fine in team history, and one that Sosa's expected to appeal. But Hendry justifies the fine, "Obviously, Sammy Sosa's actions are something......