Where's the Parade?
It’s official; Federated has changed the name of Marshall Fields to Macys. This doesn’t hit me very hard. I realize now that I abandoned my loyalty to the old Dayton’s when they became Marshall Fields a few years back.
When it was Dayton’s, I was very loyal. It’s probably genetic. My mother was employed by Dayton’s at Southdale when she became pregnant with me. I was employed at Dayton’s Southdale for two summers during college. To me, Dayton’s was Southdale, and Southdale was Dayton’s, part of the very fabric of my life. (That sound powerful, but it’s probably a bit of an overstatement—literary BS!)
Anyway, when they changed to Marshall Fields I began to drift away. Prior to the change, I occasionally bought suits from Brooks Brothers—back when you actually had to dress up to go to work—but I felt guilty. I rationalized that Brooks Brothers had a better selection, but I probably did it for some sort of snob appeal. After the change to Marshall Fields, it got easier to shop around. No longer bound by loyalty (or snobbery), I discovered the Men’s Wearhouse.
Now I hear Macy’s and I’m lost. There is no connection to the old Dayton’s there. Macy’s was always New York and the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Marshall Fields was at least Midwestern—based out of Chicago as it was. I think Federated may be Midwestern —but it doesn’t matter—Federated just sounds national.
I wonder how many people turn out early on Thanksgiving morning to find a “good seat” on Nicollet Mall for that big parade the Macy’s is so famous for. Heh - sounds like a Minneesoootan kind of thing to do. They will probably sit there for a few hours before it dawns on them—there will be no big floating Sponge-Bob, no Santa Claus. Oh well, there’s always Men’s Wearhouse.
When it was Dayton’s, I was very loyal. It’s probably genetic. My mother was employed by Dayton’s at Southdale when she became pregnant with me. I was employed at Dayton’s Southdale for two summers during college. To me, Dayton’s was Southdale, and Southdale was Dayton’s, part of the very fabric of my life. (That sound powerful, but it’s probably a bit of an overstatement—literary BS!)
Anyway, when they changed to Marshall Fields I began to drift away. Prior to the change, I occasionally bought suits from Brooks Brothers—back when you actually had to dress up to go to work—but I felt guilty. I rationalized that Brooks Brothers had a better selection, but I probably did it for some sort of snob appeal. After the change to Marshall Fields, it got easier to shop around. No longer bound by loyalty (or snobbery), I discovered the Men’s Wearhouse.
Now I hear Macy’s and I’m lost. There is no connection to the old Dayton’s there. Macy’s was always New York and the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Marshall Fields was at least Midwestern—based out of Chicago as it was. I think Federated may be Midwestern —but it doesn’t matter—Federated just sounds national.
I wonder how many people turn out early on Thanksgiving morning to find a “good seat” on Nicollet Mall for that big parade the Macy’s is so famous for. Heh - sounds like a Minneesoootan kind of thing to do. They will probably sit there for a few hours before it dawns on them—there will be no big floating Sponge-Bob, no Santa Claus. Oh well, there’s always Men’s Wearhouse.
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