Could the announcement of a name change be a promotional stunt? Think about it. People will be coming out of the woodwork to get one last trip to fields to buy memories or come to Chicago to shop over Thanksgiving to see the window displays. Could mean big $$ to Federated.

Then, Federated will have a change of heart and keep the name and traditions. They have just created big press and gained more brand loyalty. The city of Chicago will look good as they "helped" keep the brand.

Probaly a far fetched thought but you never know.

Also, I agree with one the earlier writers that Macy's at the Mall of America sucks.

Weimer, I actually thought about that and hope you're right but given the pompous condescention of Macy's CEO on the news last night I doubt it. Apparently he knows what's best for the rest of us...

swalter, I went to keepitfields.org and signed my name (I made my husband do it, too). It's interesting to see who has signed it already. Lots of names I know, which means it's getting around town fast. You should top this every once in a while w/ the petition web address...

Weimer- Federated has not had any second thoughts on keeping store names in other markerts such as Rich's in Atlanta. I doubt this is just a publicity stunt.

I hate to say this, but having been in retailing for years (until there were no buying offices left anymore!) I can tell you that you could sign 200 million petitions and they will not care. You may be able to postpone the name change - but change it will. That is the problem with monopolies - they know you are stuck shopping there.

We have a new Kohls in my town. Talk about a schlock outfit. It is so bad! Even the customers look bad. I mean REALLY bad.

When I was in there last I thought to myself, why would I shop in a place where the clothes are nasty and cheap, and if I dressed like the customers in there I would NOT be happy!

Does anyone here remember using the "clocks" at filenes as meeting place?

Anyone who wants to protest the Marshall Field's name change can go to the site below and complain:
http://www.federated-fds.com/contact/general.asp

You'll feel so much better when you do! I told them I'd tear up their credit card if they changed the name.

As a former employee of Filenes, I will miss them....but I won't waste my time signing a petition which won't ahve any impact.

Maybe someone should start a petition for a longer continuation of benefits for employees that will be out of a job due to the acquisition. I'd sign that.

You know, I agree that it probably will not change much beyond keeping the name in the long run, but in my case and in most of the other women in my environs (and we DO make a big difference in $$$ profitability)- we DO have other places to shop and it wouldn't be there. And it won't be Kohl's either.

And reading this thread overall, and some of the notations of the people on the www.keepitfields.org- I now do fully realize how little people outside of our nsrrower "Midwest" location understand Chicago and Chicagoans.

The former Chicagoans' notes have made me understand how different we truly are- not the notes on Fodors but on the other sites. Chicagoans are not as cynical as New Yorkers, nor as philosophical as either Coast. Nor probably as educated in the formal sense. But what we ARE is tied to our roots far, far more than anywhere else in these USA, even the South. We are not rolling stones and our demographics contain immigrant groups with wide extended family base and unique traditions that follow. And we have VERY good memories. And we also know about fighting clout, big time. And we are a population that works with our hands and backs as much as with our minds.

We are different and "those" people just don't understand Chicagoans, period. So whatever they plan may be a huge implode and well deserved.

NPR did a good piece on this saga yesterday. They had one of the big wigs from Federated on and they laid into him about the nostalgia aspect to this but he was pretty convincing to me. The way I interpreted his comments is: they have a business to run, all the people complaining seem to have old nostalgic things to say about Field's, but the fact is, they aren't shopping at the store.

If Chicagoans want the building as a landmark, then they can buy it with their tax dollars. If I was a shareholder in Federated, I wouldn't want to be financing charity.

You might be able to hear the interview at npr.org.

NPR people understand us the LEAST.

Who do they think will be shopping at the State St. location after it is Macy's? Not people with any money to spend except for the errant tourist who roamed away from the Water Tower area.

And do you think that the Chicago political head right now or powers that be in general reflect the people who shopped and DO shop at MField's. NOT for a long time. He is and always has been just interested in vote appeasement with little substance for neighborhoods. His specialty is "pleasing" tourist areas downtown with flowers and new tourist draws coupled with deep corruption for 1000's of self-servers. But because of double talking social issues, a blind eye exists for the real substance that thrives middle class and made Chicago great in the first place.

They are going after the wrong demographic. Purchasing the building would have to be done by a private corp. and not government. You and NPR do not understand how Chicago was made, nor how it "works". Every single feature that is the best about CHICAGO was made by individuals DESPITE the governmental bodies that they had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way.

I sympathize with those who are angry that Marshall Field's is no more. It had a different vibe than Macy's. BTW Macy's took over the old Liberty House stores here in Hawaii and I still miss Liberty House.

The sad thing is, even if you can convince them to keep the Marshall Fields name, the merchandise won't be the same..it will still be Macy's. As for Kohl's, they make Mervyn's ( for those of us on the west coast) look high class. If you think the customer's in Kohl's dress badly, you should check out the employees!!!!! I had never been in a Kohl's and when the store opened in Reno I of course wanted to check it out. It took me about 15 minutes and that's all I ever need to see of that store. Awful!!!!

Hi crefloors, I just read that balance of this trhead and thought the same thing, whatever the name will be Macy's will bring in their merchandise and way of doing business..I am not a fan of Macy's.

And Kohl's! We had one open up here in my small city some months ago. I was there about 20 minutes and left. Went in to check out their coffeepots.
Everyone I have talked to has gone into Kohl's just once and have never returned. Take care!

JJ5, oh come on. There are people in Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, etc. who are very bit as tied to their cities as the people in Chicago. With family roots that extend back just as much as ANYBODY's in Chicago. Ever farther for some of them, as many cities on the East Coast are much older than Chicago (I've got friends in Philadelphia whose family roots there go back more than 250 years). In Charleston, SC, you are still considered a newcomer if you've only lived there a mere 30 years.

Jeez JJ5, how do sleep at night with that chip on your shoulder? Don't you ever lighten up?

GET OVER IT!!!!!

Count me as another non-fan of Macy*s. I haven't shopped in one in years.