Hecht's Becomes Macy's

Every morning for the past few months, when the lights have flicked on at Hecht's in Metro Center, the store has looked a little bit different -- a little bit more like Macy's. Sometimes the changes have been small, such as new mattresses for the bedding displays or shiny new wood-and-chrome fixtures. Other times walls have been demolished. On a recent morning, mannequins were outfitted in Macy's latest back-to-school styles to kick off the season's promotions

Today, the transformation will be complete. When stores open this morning, the Hecht's nameplate, along with those of several other regional brands formerly owned by May Department Store Co., will have been replaced by Macy's, part of a plan to create a new national department store chain.

The changeover marks the end of an era in Washington retailing, with Hecht's following local icons Garfinckel's, Woodward & Lothrop and Hechinger's into the history books. "I think there's nostalgia from everybody," Kinton said. "We're sorry to see it go."

The bell began to toll for Hecht's a year ago, when Macy's parent company, Federated Department Stores Inc., acquired the May company in an $11 billion deal that changed the face of U.S. retailing. May owned several big-name regional department store chains with strong local ties, including Hecht's, Marshall Field's in Chicago and Filene's in Boston. Federated is converting more than 400 May stores into Macy's, while a handful will become Bloomingdale's.

In Washington, all but one Hecht's store has been renamed Macy's. The company is planning ribbon-cutting ceremonies and promotions at all local stores, along with special events at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The freestanding Hecht's store under construction in Chevy Chase will become a Bloomingdale's.

Perhaps no other store in the Washington area embodied Hecht's more than the one downtown. The chain was founded in 1857 by Samuel Hecht, a Baltimore furniture store owner. The downtown store opened on Seventh street in 1896, not the first but the most prominent Hecht's in the Washington area.

In 1985, it moved to its current $40 million marble-and granite location at Metro Center, helping to lead the East End renaissance.

The store is now Macy's flagship in the Washington area. It houses the chain's only Bobbi Brown cosmetics counter in the region and remains the only department store in downtown Washington.

While Hecht's and other May properties relied on coupons to drive sales, Macy's focus is on fashion. Aisles have been cleared and fixtures upgraded. Mannequins are staged on "runways," and jeans are displayed hung, not folded. Employees in Macy's East division must wear all black, an effort to cultivate a chic image and to make them easy to identify.

During one morning rally at Metro Center, a team manager gave associates a rundown of looks for men from Macy's private labels. There was a black zippered jacket and woven shirt from Alfani for "Jack," the neotraditional customer. Contemporary "Eric" might like the tan suit and rumpled lime green shirt by INC, while traditional "Ken" would go for Charter Club's red button-down shirt and striped suit.

Lori Evans, group sales manager for jewelry at Metro Center who has worked at Hecht's for 28 years, said her merchandise has gotten more expensive. The glass cases now display Gucci watches and diamonds. It's been a big culture shock for me learning about the higher end of the merchandise," she said.

Macy's hopes the strategy will reenergize the department store sector, which has been squeezed between specialty retailers and big-box discounters. Hecht's in particular struggled to find a niche, burdened by middle-of-the-road merchandise and customers who had grown used to perpetual discounting. Read more here...