What is your favorite Department Store?

[mtn1584]

OK, so now I wanna know where you buy your clothes, and home goods, and why.
I buy the majority of my dress clothes, shirts, ties, at Macy's on sale of course, and I LOVE Kohl's for my home textiles, small appliances and such.
MIKE

 

[polkanut]

My favorite dept. store, Prange's, was bought out by Younkers.  Their Trim-the-Home dept. at Christmas was like a fairyland.  They had very unique decor items that couldn't be found anywhere else in the area.  Their mens dept was top-notch also, you could always find something, even if you weren't looking for anything (make sense?).

 

[xraytech]

For me it is JCPenney, as well as Sears, but I prefer JCPenney for most things

 

[tomturbomatic]

I thought most major department stores were Macy's now except for Bloomie's so what difference does it make? The selection is the same and the service shitty no matter where you go. The clerks in the Sears at Montgomery mall don't even have to be able to speak Engrish. You ask or ax for something and they lead you over to it without a word spoken.

One of John's former employees called our Costco "Beltsville's department store" because it was the only place here you could buy a shirt, except for the thrift store. We's po' but proud.

 

[kimball455]

The only 'real' department store anywhere near Cape May is Boscovs in Millville, a 45 min drive. Nice store with great prices and sales.

 

[petek]

My favorites now reside only in my memory

The real vintage old downtown ones with rickety escalators, elevator operators, those soft bells chiming every so often and the cosmetics sales ladies who looked like Dame Edna. LOL

I've barely set foot in a dept store anymore. Sears seems over-priced to me. It's the only game left in town here if you don't count Super Walmart and Zellers. Across the bridge in Pt Huron is equally as boring, another Sears, another Super Walmart and just as boring to me a Younkers and Macys, they all look the same with a different name to my eyes.

 

[lordkenmore]

Does Goodwill count as a department store?

I wonder because I buy pretty much everything from housewares to clothes (except socks and underwear!) in thrift shops. I probably shop Goodwill the most--convenient, and large stores--although in many ways I prefer small, one location only, local thrift shops. I also like charity rummage sales--I seldom buy clothes or linens at one (although I have), but I've gotten good deals on kitchen and other housewares.

I am trying to recall the last time I went shopping in a regular department store. Early part of this decade is the best I can think. And I only went then because I needed a tool that Sears had that was not available in any store I regularly shopped. I'm pretty sure the last time I bought new clothing in a department store was probably Spring, 1998. (Emergency situation--needed it NOW!)

 

[lordkenmore]

most major department stores were Macy's

That does appear to be the truth these days. And I don't think I like it. There used to be The Bon Marché here. It was a local company with history. It ended up owned by Macy's owners. Then the name changed to Macy's because Macy's had better marketing value, I suppose. By that point, it probably didn't matter--The Bon Marché's only difference vs. other department stores in the chain was probably name. Still, I mourned the day the name died--the name had history. Macy's is New York. The Bon Marché is Seattle.

 

[whirlcool]

I was aggravated when Macy's took over Foley's here in Houston. They just cheapened the merchandise and raised the prices.

I was REALLY mad when Macy's took over Marshall Field's in Chicago. I refused to ever step foot in a Macy's again, and I haven't!

Recently, we have been shopping Dillard's and after a bunch of years, JC Penny.

 

[petek]

Yup the old downtown Seattle Bon Marche was a great store, I'd always head up to the piano and organ dept, my favorite part. The Fredrick and Nelsons store's gone now as well I hear.

 

[lordkenmore]

Yes, Frederick & Nelson is gone, too. A long time ago--1992 according to Wikipedia. Although, I think the Frederick & Nelson location I was familiar with was closed before then.

I don't remember them that well--for whatever reason, I don't recall my family shopping there. I can remember shopping there only one time. I was shopping for myself, taking advantage of a huge sale. That sale might well have been the "closing this location" sale. I thought I did well--but who knows? My frame of reference then involved other mall stores. We generally didn't buy clothes at Target, Fred Meyer, or even Sears. (I think my mother felt cheaper clothes weren't as good, didn't last as long, whatever. She may have been right--that was still an era when quality wasn't what it had been. But at least it was before this era when most stuff seems to be either Cheap Junk and Expensive Junk.) And we absolutely never bought from thrift stores. (Funny how it's now the polar opposite for me!)

One of Frederick & Nelson's legacies still lives on, I believe--Frango candies.

 

[maytagbear]

Not really my favourite, but it's the best we have now-

I don't love it, the way I loved the Akron based M. Oneil Company, one of the wonderful stores where you could spend the day......

Best we (I) have now is probably Amazon.com .

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[ronhic]

I'll go for David Jones thanks - the worlds oldest department store (1838) that still trades under it's original name.

...and their jingle fron the mid 1980's - 'There's no other store like David Jones' suits me just fine.

David Jones | Shop Fashion, Beauty, Homewares, Gifts & More

Discover a world of style at David Jones: your top destination for fashion, beauty, homewares & beyond since 1838. Explore our exclusive range of brands today.

www.davidjones.com.au

 

[angus]

I don't shop much in department stores anymore. Clothes come from a variety of places - Brooks Brothers, Jos. A. Bank, LL Bean, As I get older, I need fewer clothes and I am much less interested in the latest fashion. I have a basic style I like and I feel comfortable with so stores like Bloomingdales, Saks and other trendy places have no interest for me. Guess I am just in a demographic that retailers no longer care about. '

Once in a great while I will go to Nordstrom but the nearest one is 45 miles away and I don't need anything that much. I do not go into Macy's. Their stores here are poorly stocked, badly maintained with merchandise i can find anywhere else. They took away my beloved Abraham & Straus, Filene's (when they were owned by the original Federated Dept. Stores, before the Campeau bankruptcy debacle and before they were sold to May Company - but that is another rant) and Marshall Field's so they get the big X.
I am starting to appreciate Kohl's for their reasonably priced active wear and their housewares.

But I am a sucker for the real old line gracious department stores of my youth that really defined and exemplified the culture of their local areas:

- Abraham & Straus was known as "the store born and raised in Brooklyn"
- Gertz claimed that "you're the main attraction at Gertz"
- Filene's always said "we have exactly what you want" (I always liked that one - very crisp New England message)
- The Broadway "was Southern California"
- I. Magnin was "Magninique" or "America's Specialty Store"
- Goldwater's was "the spirit of the Southwest"
- Goldsmith's was "a Mid-South tradition since 1870"
- Rich's was "more than a store - it was Rich's"
- Sanger-Harris was "a special place for special people"
- Foley's was "at the heart of Texas"
- Hahne's was "a New Jersey tradition for 125 years"
- Shillito-Rike's was "so right for you"
- Lord & Taylor was "the spirit of American style"
- B. Altman's had no specific slogan. They didn't need one - they were Altman's
- G. Fox & Co. was "Connecticut's own..."
- Burdine's was "the Florida store"
- Jordan Marsh was a "New England tradition since 1851"
- LS Ayres was where you went to get "that Ayres look"
- the Denver was "where Colorado shops with confidence"

I am sure there are many more, but I visited many of these stores when I traveled for business for a long time and they indeed did reflect the personalities of their geographic areas. Corporate greed took care of that.

 

[tlee618]

Allen, I too was upset when Macy's bought Marshall Fields in downtown Chicago. It really hadn't been owned by Fields though long before their take over. I have to give Macy's credit though. They have kept many of the Field's traditions, like the Christmas tree in the Walnut Room and of course the Christmas windows. I always look forward to going back to that store whenever I'm in Chicago. Even though it says Macy's out front it will always be Marshall Fields to me. Down here I seem to do most of my shopping at either Dillard's, Bealls, or JC Penny. Beall's really do have some great sales.

 

[mtn1584]

Macy's is NOT what it used to be........................

Macy's WAS the greatest and BEST store to shop in at one time. I still shop there, and have even worked there, but the only thing left about Macy's is the name. I know alot of people were angry when their regional "May" Dept. Stores were changed to the Macy's banner. Macy's is the "Wal-Mart" of mid-range dept. stores. They virtually have no similar competition except for Dillard's or Boscov's in certain parts of the country. The merchandise is still good quality, but the stores are hot, dirty, and messy. One Day SALE prices can't be beat, but Macy's had a One Day Sale like every six weeks, now they have them two or three times a month. Alot has changed, Macy's never gave plastic "garbage" bags out, they always used paper bags, then placed them in shopping bags. The only thing left about MACY's is the name.
MIKE

 

[~sudsshane]

Nordstrom

I do most of my shopping for clothes and shoes at Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. You cannot beat Nordstrom when it comes to customer service. Macy's is a big disappointment here in Florida. It was
much better when it was still Burdines.

 

[washernoob]

Department stores. Hmm...

I love Sears because they have a fantastic vacuum section.

But I could care less for their clothes selection.

JC Penny's or Yonkers type stores the most for clothes.

I once went into Nordstroms in Phoenix Arizona. I was entertained for almost 2 hours by some little jazz combo group playing in the middle of the store. The pianist was absolutely phenomenal!

 

[petek]

Worlds Oldest department store? In Australia?

I dunno but the Hudson's Bay Co here in Canada was founded in 1670 (341 years).. that makes it the worlds oldest continually operating trading post/ store / business of any type in the world operating under the same name. I should know because I was there on opening day, they had free Buffalo Burgers, games like Pin the Tail on the Beaver , grizzly bear rides and Shoot a Moose for all us kids.

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