With its opening Friday in Evergreen Plaza, Macy’s introduced what it called its first dual-store format.
The department store chain has been trying new concepts and off-mall locations to combat a trend favoring online retailers such as Amazon. At Evergreen Plaza, 9700 S. Western Ave. in Evergreen Park, Macy’s opened with two distinct floors.
The first floor contains Market by Macy’s, featuring curated selections that emphasize fashion trends. Macy’s calls it a condensed version of a department store. On the second floor, Macy’s Backstage offers discounted merchandise that the retailer has said changes every day.
The operations cover a more than 70,000-square-foot space that had been a Carson Pirie Scott & Co. That store closed in 2020.
As part of its repositioning, Macy’s has closed several of its traditional department stores, including its location in Water Tower Place. Last April, it brought the Backstage format to the lower level of its State Street flagship.
Macy’s said it has more than 300 Backstage locations nationwide, including several in suburban Chicago malls. Nine of the Backstage locations are freestanding, it said.
