HOME | Enewsletter | Leaflets | Pin-on Buttons | Shopping Guide | About This Site

May 2010:

81%

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further inquiries, contact Jim McKay, Co-Organizer, FieldsFansChicago.org at jjmckay@fieldsfanschicago.org

(CHICAGO—May 14, 2010)

FieldsFansChicago.org Survey Results
Four Years Later, Survey Shows OVERWHELMING Demand for Marshall FIELD’S HOLDING STEADY: Four Out of Five Chicago Shoppers Still Prefer Field’s Over Macy’s.

The latest survey of North Michigan Avenue and State Street shoppers completed in the past three weeks indicates that 81% still want Marshall Field’s instead of Macy’s.  A comparable survey administered a year ago showed that 78% preferred Marshall Field’s over Macy’s.

The results were presented during the “questions and comments” segment immediately after today’s annual Macy’s shareholders meeting in Cincinnati.  A four-minute, positively-spirited dialogue on the Chicago State Street store ensued between Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren and FieldsFansChicago.org representative Jim McKay.

The survey of 521 shoppers was conducted anonymously by the grassroots organization FieldsFansChicago.org.  Participants responded to three questions regarding their shopping habits at the Chicago store that was Marshall Field’s until 2006 when it was converted to Macy’s.  Participants’ brief comments while answering the survey questions were also noted.

The results from three survey questions are given below.  The 2009 survey results from 522 shoppers are shown in parenthesis.  This year’s survey had a margin of error of 4.23 to 4.35%
(< 5.0%), with a confidence level of 95% and a response distribution of 50%.

*  Do you prefer Marshall Field's, Macy's or both about the same? (521 responses)
-  80.8% preferred Marshall Field's (2009: 78.0%)
-  12.7% preferred Macy's (2009: 12.6%)
-  6.5% preferred both equally (2009: 9.4%)

*  Do you shop at the store more, less or about the same since the store became Macy's?
(506 responses)

-  6.7% said that they shop more (2009: 8.6%)
-  71.5% said that they shop less (2009: 72.2%)
-  21.7% said that they shop with the same frequency as before (2009: 19.2%)

*  Would you shop at the store more, less or about the same if the store was converted back to Marshall Field's from Macy's? (507 responses)
-  77.1% said that they would shop more (2009: 78.3%)
-  4.7% said that they would shop less (2009: 2.9%)
-  18.1% said that they would shop with the same frequency as they do now (2009: 18.8%)

Three types of comments predominated with great regularity:  (1) shoppers not only shop less, they decidedly do not shop Macy's at all since the conversion;  (2) those who do shop Macy’s favor coupons, which they perceive as being more readily available in recent years; (3) they perceive the stores as having different merchandise and inferior service since the conversion to Macy's; and (4) the conversion to Macy's was more than a name change--certain merchandise and a "Field's way" of doing business would have to be restored in addition to the name "Marshall Field's" before they would increase their shopping at the stores.

Three months ago, Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgen told the Chicago Sun-Times that sales in the two Chicago-area districts were among the top five among 69 in sales increases last year with sales rising by double-digit percentages.   However, FieldsFansChicago says that this study—indicating that four out of five shoppers want Marshall Field’s—clearly demonstrates that there is a greater, overwhelming demand for the return of Marshall Field’s to State Street. 
As such, the highest and best use of the State Street store is for it to be operated again as Marshall Field’s in style, service and quality, as well as brand name.

POST-SHAREHOLDER MEETING QUESTIONS & COMMENTS
A four-minute dialogue on the Chicago State Street store between Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren and FieldsFansChicago.org representative and Macy’s shareholder Jim McKay unfolded before an estimated 200 attendees during the post-shareholder meeting “questions and comments” segment.

 After McKay presented the survey results, Lundgren was prepared with a slide detailing recent accomplishments at the State Street store, including a statistic that the Walnut Room has had its most visitors since they started keeping statistics.  During one point, McKay said that Macy’s could run State Street in much the same way that Nieman Marcus operates a single Bergdorf Goodman flagship in Manhattan.  Mr. Lundgren said that Marshall Field’s is a great brand and that Macy’s hoped to do more with it.

Started in 2005, FieldsFansChicago.org is a grassroots organization that has staged protest rallies, letter-writing campaigns and boycott activities with the goal of restoring Marshall Field's in quality and service, as well as name.  Its activities have included distributing more than 139,000 leaflets and pin-on buttons and media coverage at the local, national and international levels.

For further information, including questions about the survey methodology (including demonstration of survey procedure) and results of the survey, please contact Jim McKay, Co-Organizer of FieldsFansChicago.org, at jjmckay@FieldsFansChicago.org

--30--                       

FieldsFansChicago.org
5/14/2010
Page 2 of 2

HOME | Enewsletter | Blog | Leaflets | Pin-on Buttons | Shopping Guide | About This Site


Revision of 5.14.2010
Email the webmaster at webmaster@fieldsfanschicago.org
This site is NOT affiliated in any way with Marshall Field's, Macy's,
Macy's, Inc., its subsidiaries, or keepitfields.org.
Clock image ©2006 D. Staub via CreativeCommons.org
©2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 All Rights Reserved.