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Bloomingdale's

Coordinates: 40°45′43″N 73°58′00″W / 40.76194°N 73.96667°W / 40.76194; -73.96667
From Alfawiki
Bloomingdale's Inc.
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryRetail
Founded1861; 165 years ago (1861)
FounderJoseph Bloomingdale, Lyman Bloomingdale
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
United States
Area served
United States, Dubai, Kuwait
ProductsLuxury department store goods, fashion, home décor
ParentMacy's, Inc.
Websitewww.bloomingdales.com

Bloomingdale's Inc. represents a prominent American luxury department store chain established in 1861 by brothers Joseph Bloomingdale and Lyman Bloomingdale. The company became part of Federated Department Stores in 1930, which later acquired the Macy's chain in 1994, aligning the two as sister brands. Federated subsequently rebranded as Macy's, Inc. in 2007.

By 2024, Bloomingdale's operated 32 company-owned department stores across the United States, alongside three franchised locations situated in Dubai and Kuwait. Additionally, it maintained 21 outlet stores exclusively within the U.S. and ran four Bloomie's by Bloomingdales specialty concept outlets.[1]

The brand’s corporate headquarters and flagship location are positioned at the intersection of 59th Street and Lexington Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

History

File:NYC Bloomingdales.jpg
The iconic flagship store on Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan

Establishment (1861)

Bloomingdale's origins trace back to 1861 when Benjamin Bloomingdale, together with his son Lyman Bloomingdale, launched their first store in New York City's Lower East Side, initially named Bloomingdale's Hoopskirts, specializing in hoop skirts and European fashion imports. Recognizing the potential for expansion within the vibrant retail environment, the brothers opened a second store in 1872 called Bloomingdale's Great East Side Bazaar, located at 965 Third Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets in Midtown Manhattan. This Bazaar expanded over time into three adjoining buildings before relocating to its current flagship site at 59th Street and Third Avenue.[2]

Relocations and growth (1860s–1890s)

During the following decades, Bloomingdale's experienced multiple relocations and expansions. The founders relocated the store from its initial site to a more spacious venue at 59th Street and Third Avenue. As the enterprise thrived and required even larger retail quarters, it moved again in 1886 to its renowned address at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. This relocation was a pivotal moment, firmly establishing the store as a leading shopping destination.

In 1872, the business adopted the name "Bloomingdale's," reflecting the family heritage while also symbolizing the company's expanding success.

Joseph Bloomingdale stepped down from the firm in 1896, leaving his brother Lyman in full charge. Upon Lyman's passing in 1905, his sons Hiram and Samuel inherited his ownership stakes.

20th century

With the arrival of the 20th century, Bloomingdale's embraced pioneering retail innovations. The late 19th-century introduction of department store window displays became a hallmark, enhancing the store’s visual appeal and capturing the interest of pedestrians. This strategy helped build its reputation as a trendsetter in fashion.

By 1902, Bloomingdale's had expanded to cover approximately 80 percent of the city block bordered by 58th and 59th Streets to the north and south, and Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue to the west and east.

Following the inauguration of the New York City Subway, the main entrance was shifted in 1918 to face Lexington Avenue to better serve customers arriving via the nearby IRT Lexington Avenue Line station at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. During World War I, with U.S. involvement ongoing, Samuel Bloomingdale generously offered an entire floor rent-free to the American Red Cross until hostilities ceased. By 1927, after acquiring all remaining parcels on the block, Bloomingdale's controlled the entire city block, enlarging its footprint to 84,000 square feet—a size that would later nearly quadruple through additional floor expansions.

Like many public companies, Bloomingdale's encountered significant financial challenges after the 1929 Black Tuesday stock market collapse. In early 1930, it merged with the newly formed Federated Department Stores, a move that enabled it to weather the hardships of the Great Depression.

1945–1959: American fashion leadership

In the post-World War II era, Bloomingdale's was instrumental in influencing American fashion trends. The store fostered relationships with European designers while also championing American talent, playing a key role in shaping fashion sensibilities across the nation. This era signified sustained expansion and influence for Bloomingdale's, reinforcing its position as a foremost department store. By the 1950s, it had established itself as a prominent retail institution known for its broad selection of quality merchandise and significant impact on fashion trends—foundations that supported its enduring growth and reputation in subsequent decades.

Initial Branch Locations

In 1947, coinciding with the post-World War II economic upswing in the United States, Bloomingdale's inaugurated its first retail outlet beyond Manhattan in New Rochelle, a suburban area near New York City, by taking over the former Ware's Department Store. Concluding that adapting existing structures suited their established floor plans well, the company introduced its inaugural purpose-built store in 1949 within the Fresh Meadows neighborhood of Queens, situated across the East River. This location attracted more than 25,000 visitors on its opening day.[3] Subsequently, a store was established in Stamford, Connecticut, followed by the 1959 launch of a branch in Hackensack, New Jersey, positioned alongside the Hackensack River. The Hackensack location was crafted by architect William T. Snaith from Loewy Associates. In 1977, what is now known as The Shops at Riverside mall was developed along the southern and eastern sides of this Bloomingdale's store, which also underwent expansion.

1960-1975 Developments

Throughout the 1960s, Bloomingdale's diversified its product offerings to include high-end Parisian fashion and Italian home décor. The year 1969 saw the introduction of its first designer-specific department dedicated to Halston, swiftly followed by a specialized Polo Ralph Lauren boutique within the men's section later that same year. By the early 1970s, the retailer embraced cutting-edge European design trends and became the pioneer American store to market goods from Communist China after its recognition by the United Nations in 1971. The brand unveiled its distinctive rounded logo in 1972, and a year later introduced both its "Big Brown Bag" and "Little Brown Bag," which continue to be iconic symbols today. Despite the challenges facing New York City during that decade, Bloomingdale's prospered, partly due to ongoing suburban expansions. Its largest branch opened in White Plains, New York in 1975, encompassing 260,000 square feet of retail space; soon after, the smaller New Rochelle location was closed.[3]

Growth Outside New York Region

In 1976, Bloomingdale's extended its reach beyond the New York metropolitan area by opening its first full-line department store in Tysons, Virginia, a suburb near Washington, D.C..[4] The grand opening featured then-First Lady Betty Ford as the guest of honor.[3]

By 1981, Bloomingdale's had launched a branch at the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia, which was at that time the world's largest shopping mall. Additional new stores were established along the East Coast, as well as in Florida, Chicago, and Dallas, Texas.[5] In a significant corporate event in 1988, Canadian real estate mogul Robert Campeau orchestrated a hostile takeover of Bloomingdale's for $6.6 billion, marking it as the largest non-oil merger at that time.[3]

Economic difficulties during the 1990s

Throughout the early 1990s, Bloomingdale's encountered persistent financial obstacles, which led to the shutdown of its stores in Dallas, Fresh Meadows, and Stamford, Connecticut. In 1994, Federated Stores completed the acquisition of the entire Macy's chain, which had been undergoing bankruptcy proceedings for two years. By November 1996, Bloomingdale's made its debut in California by transforming four former The Broadway locations.[3] The brand continued to expand while simultaneously closing redundant outlets as a consequence of the Macy's merger.

Developments in the 21st century

File:Bloomingdales footprint.png
Map illustrating Bloomingdale's store locations as of October 2015

In 2004, Bloomingdale's reestablished a presence in downtown Manhattan with the opening of an 82,000-square-foot store in SoHo, offering a curated selection from its flagship inventory.

By 2007, the retailer extended its reach to San Diego (Fashion Valley) and Costa Mesa (South Coast Plaza), occupying former Robinsons-May outlets that had closed in 2006 due to existing Macy's stores within those malls. The previous year, in 2006, Bloomingdale's inaugurated its second-largest store after the Manhattan flagship, encompassing 330,000 sq ft (31,000 m2) in San Francisco’s Union Square.

On June 1, 2007, Federated Stores rebranded itself as Macy's to capitalize on stronger brand recognition but retained the Bloomingdale's name for its stores.[3]

On February 14, 2008, Macy's, Inc. announced plans to enter the Phoenix market with a proposed 180,000-square-foot Bloomingdale's location slated for 2009.[6] This would have marked Arizona as the thirteenth state hosting a Bloomingdale's and represented the tenth store on the West Coast and forty-first overall. However, this project was abandoned due to the economic downturn caused by the Great Recession of 2008–2009.

In May 2008, Bloomingdale's began discontinuing its Bloomingdale's By Mail catalog to focus more intensively on its expanding online platform at bloomingdales.com. Later that year, on September 10, Macy's revealed plans to launch three new Bloomingdale's stores—two designed similarly to its SoHo location. One was planned as a three-story 82,000-square-foot (7,600 m2) anchor at The Shops at Georgetown Park in Washington, D.C.,[7] but this initiative was halted after the mall’s owner filed for bankruptcy. The other two stores were completed: a 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) location at Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose, California,[8] and a 205,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) outlet at Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA. The Santa Monica store opened in early 2010 but shuttered in 2021 due to underperformance; meanwhile, San Jose’s opening was delayed until 2020 primarily because of recession-related challenges.[3]

Bloomingdale’s launched its inaugural international store in Dubai in February 2010. Similar to competitor Saks Fifth Avenue, its global operations are managed under license by a local entity—in this case, Al Tayer Group LLC, a prominent UAE conglomerate.[9] The CEO indicated that this Dubai location would likely remain the sole international store.[10] (This stance shifted later when a new store opened in Kuwait in 2017.) Additionally, that year saw Bloomingdale’s debut its first outlet store at Potomac Mills, near Washington D.C.[3]

In 2012, Macy’s Inc. closed four Bloomingdale’s outlets located respectively in Minneapolis (Mall of America), Atlanta (Perimeter), Washington DC (White Flint), and Chicago (Oak Brook).[11][12]

Toward the end of 2019, Macy’s declared it would discontinue selling fur products across all its stores—including Bloomingdale’s department and outlet locations—starting with the conclusion of fiscal year 2020.[13]

During the decade spanning the late 2010s, Bloomingdale’s undertook initiatives to reinforce its New York flagship as a premier "retail destination," targeting customers who typically shop online for department store merchandise. This included introducing new departments such as a branch of Magnolia Bakery and a boutique featuring Sarah Jessica Parker’s SJC Collection footwear line—the first department store in New York to carry this brand. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, nearly 200,000 square feet within the flagship underwent extensive renovations focusing on denim, cosmetics, footwear, and contemporary women's apparel.[3]

Amidst the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Macy’s Inc. announced temporary closures for all Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s locations nationwide.[14] Initial plans aimed for reopening by late March or April were postponed due to escalating health concerns. Consequently, many physical stores remained shuttered for over a year with reopening timelines varying by region; some locations did not resume operations until late 2021.

On September 9, 2022, Bloomingdale’s commemorated its sesquicentennial anniversary with a series of special events and exclusive merchandise offerings throughout the remainder of the year at its Manhattan flagship.[3]

Timeline of department store inaugurations

Template:Sort under

1997 open 3 Aventura Mall Aventura Miami-FtL-WPB Florida 252,000 GL style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Store opened November 8.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content 1998 open 4 Walt Whitman Mall Huntington New York New York 231,000 L style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | This location opened in the original Macy's space after Macy's operated two locations in the mall due to the renaming of an Abraham & Straus store in 1995.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have contentCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content 2002 open 24 Bridgewater Commons Bridgewater New York New Jersey 161,000 L style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Began operations April 13 in a former Stern's location.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content 2002 open 20 Mall at Millenia Orlando Orlando Florida 236,000 O style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Original anchor store of the mall.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content 2002 open 37 Willowbrook Wayne New York New Jersey 255,000 O style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Launched April 13 replacing a former Stern's.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content 2002 2013 Fashion Show Mall Home Store Las Vegas Las Vegas Nevada style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Closed alongside five other Macy's-operated stores.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content 2003 open 55 Lenox Square Atlanta Atlanta Georgia 281,000 L style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Took over a former Macy's space.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content 2003 2020 Medinah Temple Chicago Chicago Illinois style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | A Home and Furniture Store located in Chicago’s Near North Side. The building was sold to developer Al Friedman in June 2019 and vacated by September 2020.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content 2004 open 53 Soho New York New York New York 121,000 L style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | 2006 open 61 Fashion Valley San Diego San Diego–Tijuana California 225,000 GL style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | 2006 open 11 Mall at Chestnut Hill Women's Chestnut Hill Boston Massachusetts 186,000 O style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | 2006 closed 22 San Francisco Centre San Francisco San Francisco Bay Area California 335,000 style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | 2007 open 62 South Coast Plaza Costa Mesa Los Angeles California 291,000 O style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | 2007 open 34 Wisconsin Place Chevy Chase Washington DC Maryland 190,000 O style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | 2010 2021 Santa Monica PlaceSanta Monica Los Angeles California 205,000 <style="vertical-align-top;"> Shut down due to unsatisfactory sales performance.[3] </style> 2010 open n/a Dubai Mall Dubai Dubai Template:Country data UAE 146,000 F Main retail location 2010 open n/a Dubai Mall Dubai Dubai Template:Country data UAE 54,000 F Home goods store 2013 open 60 Glendale Galleria Glendale Los Angeles California 112,000 L <style="vertical-align-top;"> Introduced as part of mall renovations replacing Mervyn's.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have contentCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content </style> 2014 open 31 Stanford Shopping Center Palo Alto San Francisco Bay Area California 124,000 GL style=vertical-align-top;"> </style>|- 2015 open 58 Ala Moana CenterHonoluluHonoluluHawaiʻi 164,000 L <style="vertical-align-top;"> The first Bloomingdale’s established in Hawaii on November 12. This three-level store replaced a former Sears, featuring smart fitting rooms, charging lounges and a restaurant named '40 Carrots'.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content. </style>|- 2017 open n/a 360 Mall Al Zahra Kuwait Template:Country data Kuwait 93,000 F <style="vertical-align-top;"> </style>|- 2019 open 46 SoNo CollectionNorwalk New York Connecticut 153,000 L <style="vertical-align-top;"> </style>|- 2020 open 50 Samanea Mall Westbury New York New York 25,000 L <style="vertical-align-top;"> </style>|- 2020 open 57 Valley Fair San Jose San Francisco Bay Area California 144,000 O <style="vertical-align-top;"> </style>|- 1992 2012 Mall of AmericaBloomington Minneapolis–St. Paul Minnesota 233,000 L rowspan =4 style="vertical-align-top;"| Macy's announced closure of these four Bloomingdale’s stores on January 4. Closure resulted from poor sales performance.[11]<ref name = close-2012 ></ ref>< ref ></ ref>< ref ></ ref > </ small > 2003 2012 Oakbrook Center Home Store Oak Brook , Illinois Chicago Illinois 93 ,000 style = vertical - align - top ; line - height : 110 % > 1977 2012 White Flint Mall North Bethesda , Maryland Washington DC Maryland 259 ,000 style = vertical - align - top ; line - height : 110 % > 2003 2012 Perimeter Mall Dunwoody , Georgia Atlanta Georgia (U.S. state) 234 ,000 style = vertical - align - top ; line - height : 110 % >
Year
Opened/
Closed 		# Mall or district City Metro Area State (US) or
country 		Gross
floor
area
(sq ft) 		Type Remarks
1886 open 1 59th Street New York New York New York 850,000 L
1947 1977 554 Main Street New Rochelle New York New York 110,000 Previously housed Ware's Department Store. Closed in 1977 following the 1975 opening of the nearby White Plains location.[15] Subsequently operated as a furniture outlet for a period.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
1949 1991 Fresh Meadows Queens New York New York 149,000 Initial size was 106,325 sq.ft., excluding furniture and large appliance sales. Structure comprised two floors plus basement. Designed by architects Voorhees, Walker, Foley and Smith with a suburban town-and-country aesthetic featuring grey brick and white marble.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content[16]
1954 1990 Stamford Stamford New York Connecticut Bloomingdale's sole Connecticut location during its 36 years of operation.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
1959 open 5 Shops at Riverside Hackensack New York New Jersey 292,000 O
1967 open 6 Short Hills Short Hills New York New Jersey 246,000 GL Commenced operations on September 15.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
1971 1982 Manhasset furniture store Manhasset, L.I. New York New York Closed following the establishment of a nearby Garden City store.[17]
1971 1982 Eastchester furniture store Eastchester New York New York Ceased operations after the White Plains store opened nearby.[17]
1973 open 11 Mall at Chestnut Hill Home/Men's Chestnut Hill Boston Massachusetts 124,000 O
1975 open 12 White Plains White Plains New York New York 296,000 O Launched on September 16 featuring four floors.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
1976 open 14 Tysons Corner Center McLean Washington DC Virginia 268,000 L
1981 open 16 King of Prussia (Court) King of Prussia Philadelphia Pennsylvania 250,000 O Opened August 2 as the first full-line Bloomingdale's in Philadelphia.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
1982 open 17 Willow Grove Park Mall Willow Grove Philadelphia Pennsylvania 239,000 O Store opened August 4 prior to mall inauguration.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
1983 1990 Valley View Center Dallas Dallas–Ft. Worth Texas 220,378 Closure attributed to underperformance.[18]
1986 open 2 Town Center at Boca Raton Boca Raton Miami-FtL-WPB Florida 270,000 O Launched October 29 coinciding with mall expansion.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
1988 open 8 900 North Michigan Ave. Chicago Chicago Illinois 270,000 L Inaugurated September 24.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have contentCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
open |27 |Roosevelt Field |Garden City |New York |New York |314,000 |L |style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Opened November 3. This was the only Bloomingdale's to occupy a former Abraham & Straus location.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have contentCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
open |28 |Century City |Los Angeles |Los Angeles |California |232,000 |L |style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Opened November 9 in the former The Broadway space as Bloomingdale's initial Southern California outlet.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
open |30 |Fashion Island |Newport Beach |Los Angeles |California |172,000 |GL |style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% |Launched November 14 replacing a previous The Broadway store.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
open |29 |Sherman Oaks |Sherman Oaks |Los Angeles |California |228,000 |O |style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Opened November 16 in a former The Broadway location.[19]
open |30 |Fashion Island Home |Newport Beach |Los Angeles |California |68,000 |L |style=vertical-align:top;line-height:110% | Inaugurated in March.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content
1997

Table Notes< ref name = storecount />

Partial listing includes stores operational at end of year 2023 plus four locations closed in year 2012.

Store Classifications:

  • GL = Ground Lease – Denotes properties where Macy’s participated in building construction on leased land and retains ownership-like control during lease tenure.
  • L = Leased – Indicates properties where Macy’s Inc. leases both building and land.
  • O = Owned – Signifies properties fully owned by Macy’s Inc., including both building and land ownership. May include minor leased spaces such as kiosks or small retail units.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named storecount
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named traub
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named auto
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named moa1
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named close-2012
  13. ↑ Leticia Miranda, "Macy's, Bloomingdale's to stop selling fur," NBC News, October 22, 2019.
  14. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named newrochelle
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named freshmeadows
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named eastchester-manhasset
  18. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named stamford-dallas
  19. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named November 1, 1996

External links

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