Winning brand loyalty means engaging consumers on a variety fronts, and key partnerships can add extra dimensions to the customer experience that shoppers crave.
Macy’s certainly believes that such partnerships are beneficial to its customers. As part of a new agreement that promises to offer a unique customer experience, Macy’s shoppers will soon see licensed Best Buy departments appearing in some select stores.
Currently, only 10 Macy’s stores will begin testing the boutique-like Best Buy sections, but many more may soon follow. Each “shop” will encompass about 300 square feet and Best Buy employees will staff the departments, which will feature a host of electronics, smartphones, tablets, and audio devices.
“Customers have often told us they would like to see electronic products as part of the offering at Macy’s, and we will be testing that idea,” Jim Sluzewski, Senior VP of Corporate Communications & External Affairs, told Loyalty360.
For Macy’s, this Best Buy partnership is another way to enhance the customer experience, which it has also augmented through similar agreements. Some examples include retail space reserved for Sunglass Hut sunglasses, Finish Line athletic footwear, and Destination Maternity apparel. Just last spring, Macy’s also finalized a deal to introduce Men’s Wearhouse tux rentals in select stores.
“One of Macy’s strategies for a number of years has been to use license agreements with various category leaders to offer an interesting range of goods that customers would like and expect to find in a Macy’s store,” Sluzewski explained. “All of these licensed departments taken together represent a small portion of the total space in a Macy’s, but we believe they allow us to offer a compelling, one-stop shopping experience for our customers.”
Macy’s realizes that it alone does not often possess the expertise to develop a comprehensive assortment mechanize outside of its own areas of specialization. This is what makes these partnerships so valuable to the brand.
“We are delighted that consumer electronics will be returning to selected Macy’s stores through this test, which will allow us to learn how we can best serve our customers’ needs in this very sophisticated category,” said Jeff Gennette, Macy’s President. “Our customers have expressed interest in electronics for self-purchase and gift-giving, and this collaboration with Best Buy reinforces Macy’s as a shopping destination throughout the year for the products that are most in demand."
The current plan is to see how the new partnership performs through the holidays and into 2016. After that Macy’s will decide how to proceed.