Bloomie's On the Hudson

Bloomingdale's, the New York-based division of Federated Department Stores (Cincinnati), is about to complete renovation and open two new stores in New Jersey next month.

The locations, at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne and Bridgewater Commons in Bridgewater, are both former Stern's stores. Federated shut down its 24-store Stern's division in early 2001, announcing at the time that while most of those stores would be turned into Macy's stores, new Bloomingdale's stores would occupy the Willowbrook and Bridgewater locations.

This will give Bloomingdale's four stores in New Jersey, adding to existing locations in Short Hills and Hackensack. “There's a staggering opportunity in this market,” said ceo Michael Gould of the Willowbrook location, noting that there are no Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom stores in the area.

The three-level, 273,000-square-foot Willowbrook store is being viewed as a prototype for future expansion. It's also being viewed as a “local store,” Gould recently told the Daily News Record, “not a Manhattan store coming to New Jersey.” So the main-floor cosmetics department will be 35-40 percent larger than at any other branch store. And the men's department is 34,000 square feet, second only to Boca Raton, Fla., among the Bloomingdale's branch stores.

“There are also far fewer vendor shops,” said Jack Hruska, senior vp of store design. “We will use imagery and fixturing that reflect the vendor, but not true shops,” with the exception of a Polo shop in the men's department.

The smaller Bridgewater store is two levels and 160,000 square feet. It will sell accessories and apparel, but no home products.

Bloomingdale's is also planning on opening new stores in Orlando, Las Vegas and Chicago this year, bringing its total to 28 stores across the country.