Rowland H. Macy is best known as an American businessman who lived from 1822 to 1877. He was the founder of the popular and the big Macy’s chain of department stores. Macy is a prominent character in society because his legacy is that of capitalism: Starting a successful business from very humble beginnings and then turning it into a giant retail chain that still flourishes today. It is interesting for people today to read about Macy because they can learn a lot about the perseverance it often takes in life to become successful. To wit, Macy started a series of retail dry goods stores in Haverhill, Massachusetts, which all failed before he opened up the first, true Macy’s store in New York City in 1858. From humble beginnings, the store has turned into something of a mainstay in American holiday celebrations, which is observable just from the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Macy was born on August 30, 1822, on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, into a Quaker family. He was the fourth of six kids, and when he turned 15 years of age, Macy actually worked aboard a whaling ship called the Emily Morgan. An interesting fact about the Macy’s chain of department stores is that the red tattoo of a star that Macy sported on his hand during this time actually became a part of the logo of the store itself. When he was only 22 years old in 1844, Macy married Louisa Houghton with whom he had two kids, one Florence Macy and the other Rowland Hussey Macy, Jr.

The career of Macy as an American businessman started relatively early in his life. In 1843 he opened the first of what would be four retail dry goods stores in the Massachusetts area; the stores were meant to provide goods to the mill service employees who frequented and lived in the area. While all four dry goods stores turned out to be unsuccessful failures, Macy showed his ability to bounce back from adversity by learning from his unsuccessful ventures each time. Macy would demonstrate his ability to survive, make a comeback and thrive when he opened the first Macy’s store in 1858 in New York City, which was named R.H. Macy Dry Goods. As this store grew, Macy added more and more departments and used marketing tactics such as the department store Santa Claus gimmick, which proved quite popular. The biggest and most palpable indicator of success for this first, true Macy’s store was evidenced in its move to the Ladies’ Mile, which was a premium shopping district in New York City that was situated on 18^th Street and Broadway.

At present, Macy’s is an established mid- to high-range department store in the U.S., and it brings in yearly revenue that exceeds $20 billion. The store chain has become a staple in popular culture with its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade as an annual attraction that draws many people to New York City. This parade has not only given people something to look forward to, but it has also changed lives. While Macy’s is known for its Thanksgiving Day Parade, it also sponsors the Fourth of July fireworks display and has been doing so since 1976. Its future also looks bright as more and more people visit this chain store or hear about it from friends, family and advertising.

While Macy’s is a pioneer in the sector of mid to high-range department store businesses, that has not stopped others from competing with it and even trying to beat what R. H. Macy has accomplished. For instance, Macy’s biggest competitors are Belk, Dillard’s, The Bon-Ton Stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. For example, in the case of Belk, it was founded all the way back in 1888 by a man called William Henry Belk, and even though he tried to expand his store after opening the first Belk store in California, this chain of stores is still only popular throughout the Southern US, today. In the example of Nieman Marcus, its first store was actually opened in Texas in 1907 at a time when stores that sold fine clothing were not common in the state. However, more than 100 years later, Nieman Marcus still only operates 41 stores around the US, while Macy’s has exploded to more than 800 retail stores across the entire country. While stores like Belk and Nieman Marcus have made an impact in the department store world, they still cannot compare to the achievements of R. H. Macy.

To understand more about Macy, check out these links.

• Macy’s Website: This is the official website of Macy’s.
• Macy’s College Website: This website run by the Macy’s corporation focuses on getting college graduates to work for them.
• History of Macy’s: This website traces the history of Macy’s.
• Macy’s Company Overview: This website takes a brief look at what Macy’s is all about.
• Macy’s Analysis: This website (PDF) provides an analysis of Macy and what its products are.
• Review of Macy’s Website: This website asks the question, Does Macy’s have enough product variety on its website?
• Photo Website: This website provides a great photo of Macy’s Department Store.
• All About R. H. Macy: This website features basic information the founder of Macy’s.
• Macy and Leadership Values: This website looks at how Macy’s leadership values impacted the industry.
• Macy’s History: This website looks at the history of the Macy’s brand.
• Macy and Business and Finance: This website features a 1929 article from Time Magazine, which discusses Macy’s.
• Macy’s: Foundation of America: This website features information on the architecture of the Macy’s building in New York City.
• Macy’s: Big Box Brand: This website looks at the Macy’s brand and its distinction as a “big box brand.”
• First Department Stores: This website examines how Macy’s is the second claimant to the title of America’s first department store.
• Leaders’ Values: This website checks out the legacy of Macy as a leader.
• Department Store History: This website looks at the history of department stores, mentioning Macy’s in its timeline.
• Hattie Carnegie: This website explores Hattie Carnegie, who was a protégé of Macy’s Department Store.
• Holiday Hiring: This website features a news article that informs people about Macy’s Christmas hiring plans.
• Macy’s Expansion: This website looks at Macy’s expanding into Southern California.
• Store Openings: This website features an article that examines new store openings in the Macy’s chain.
• Kiosk Openings: This website features an article that looks at the kiosks within Macy’s stores.
• Online Gift Registry: This website features an article that talks about the online gift registry at Macy’s.
• Merchandise Tailoring: This website features an article that discusses Macy’s efforts at tailoring their merchandise to each local area.