“There’s no such things as overnight success” is a popular catchphrase and one that retail giant Macy’s is using to recruit women- or minority-owned companies who are ready to take their business to the next level.
“Macy’s recognizes that at the heart of retailing is creativity, and that by bringing together a broad array of talents, our business is enhanced. This is particularly true in our vendor relationships,” says Terry J. Lundgren, chairman and CEO of Macy’s Inc. “Of the many initiatives Macy’s has pursued on behalf of our expanding diversity strategy, vendor diversity is an area of special importance. To assist in the growth of talented small business, Macy’s strives to purchase and support vendors who are certified as minority or women-owned.”
Recently, Macy’s 2015 Workshop hosted a cocktail reception to celebrate five years of success. In addition to 2015 class participants, guests included Macy’s executive leadership, retailers, consultants, press, and Workshop alumni, all coming together to “focus on how the retail organization can support minority- and women-owned businesses in a much more fundamental way,” says Jeff Gennette, president of Macy’s Inc. “This is like our favorite night of the year. It the biggest group we’ve ever brought together. It’s about support and mentorship.”
The 2015 workshop participants included Bodyology, Cinder + Salt, Della, LaQuan Smith, LJ Lambillotte, PLY Apparel, SG@NYC, Loly in the Sky, Southern Gents and Umano.
The week-long training held at Macy’s Herald Square location in New York City covered a range of topics including understanding your competition, identifying your customer and articulating your value equation.
The founder and owner of Atlanta-based Bodyology, Kelly Burton, had this to say of the program, “The Workshop at Macy’s has been truly transformative for our business. It has caused me to reimagine so many aspects of our current strategy and as a result, Bodyology will be reaping the benefits of this program for many years to come.”
The Workshop at Macy’s is now taking applications for their free and exclusive vendor retail development program in New York City. Learn more and apply today at macysinc.com/workshop.
