When Macy's opens its doors for business Saturday, it'll be dressed in its party clothes, serenaded, offering drinks and treats and games for the kids.
The host of the morning's events will be Macy's Northwest chairman and chief executive officer, Jeff Gennette.
"Utah is a very important market for us," Gennette told the Deseret Morning News in a phone interview from the division's headquarters in Seattle. "The Salt Lake market is a big opportunity for us, and I wanted to be there" for the official opening of Macy's in Utah.
Saturday is the big day when more than 400 former May Co. stores nationwide (which operated under the Meier & Frank brand in Utah) will open under the Macy's banner. Macy's parent company, Federated Department Stores, completed its $11 billion purchase of The May Co. in 2005. That acquisition doubled Federated's size to more than 800 stores.
Saturday morning's "Red Carpet & Ribbon-Cutting Celebration" will include remarks from Gennette, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon. The event will feature cider, cake, live entertainment and activities for children.
More than that, though, Gennette said the event marks the beginning of what Macy's hopes will be a new and satisfying relationship for consumers looking for mid- and upscale clothes, shoes, accessories, gifts and the like. Which, according to Gennette, is something Meier & Frank didn't adequately provide in Utah.
"It's no secret that (Meier & Frank) was a more robust business when it was ZCMI," Gennette said. "Over the last five years, it diminished to a point where we believe we have a tremendous opportunity for growth."
Macy's has been out stumping hard in the run-up to Saturday's re-launch, promising noticeable improvements in the merchandise quality, presentation and service offered at its stores.
"We're a department store, but what Macy's really strives for is that our products are differentiated and unique," Gennette said. "Hopefully, customers who have been in our stores in the last few weeks have experienced an environment that was less cluttered, more easily navigated and discernible."
Macy's has "edited" its assortment of merchandise — the majority of which, including private labels, will be new to Meier & Frank faithful — to make shopping a "more inspiring" experience for customers, Gennette said.
And that merchandise will be tailored on a store-by-store basis to fit the needs of individual communities.
"We are big on making sure that the assortment we offer is specific to each building," Gennette said. "If you walk into Layton Hills Mall versus Riverdale versus Cottonwood Mall versus Salt Lake, you should see a difference."
Also this week, Federated rolled out a new advertising and marketing campaign, said to be the largest in the company's history. Block parties and shopping parties are scheduled in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and El Paso over the weekend, and parades are scheduled in Chicago and 20 other cities leading up to the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in November.
"This is the beginning," Gennette said. "I think in a lot of cases people expect that we'll show up for this, and then pack up our bags and go home, but that's not the case at all. We expect (Saturday's launch) to be the start of a very active relationship, the beginning of what I hope will be a beautiful marriage."
Whether that relationship includes participation in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' massive redevelopment project planned for downtown Salt Lake City has yet to be determined, according to Gennette. Macy's downtown store, which underwent a multimillion-dollar May Co. renovation, is located at ZCMI Center, which is part of the planned redevelopment.
"We are still actively talking about it, but we've no decision to announce," he said. "I will tell you that we value that location a great deal and would like to be a part of it. We just haven't finalized the deal to make it happen."
Events for Macy's official openings in Utah
What: The unveiling of the downtown Salt Lake Macy's store, completing the transition from Meier & Frank to Macy's.
When: Live music and dignitary remarks from 9 to 9:30 a.m., followed by a ribbon-cutting and store opening. Cider and cake will be served at 10 a.m., with live entertainment and children's entertainment from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Who: Jeff Gennette, chairman and chief executive officer, Macy's Northwest; Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.; Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon; Salt Lake Chamber President Lane Beattie
Where: Macy's stores in Utah are at the Cottonwood Mall and ZCMI Center in Salt Lake City; South Towne Center in Sandy; Fashion Place Mall in Murray; University Mall in Orem; Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City; Layton Hills Mall in Layton; and in Riverdale
E-mail: jnii@desnews.com