Bloomingdale’s Opens Smaller-Format Store in California

Bloomingdale’s, the New York-based luxury division of Macy’s Inc. (Cincinnati) will be opening a new store Los Angeles’ Glendale Galleria on Friday. It will be the retailer’s first new store opening in three years.

The store, which has 86,500 square feet of selling space on two levels, is part of Bloomingdale’s new strategy for stores that are smaller and merchandise that is more expensive. In size, it is similar to Bloomingdale’s SoHo store in New York and in Santa Monica, Calif.

Women’s Wear Daily reports that the store is also more glamorous than recent Bloomingdale’s ventures.

“Those are two big statements,” said Michael Gould, Bloomingdale’s outgoing chairman and ceo, referring to Louis Vuitton and Gucci boutiques right inside the store’s mall entrance.

“From an assortment point of view, the store is dramatically more upscale than Santa Monica,” Gould told WWD. “Glendale shows very clearly how the luxury market views the evolution of Bloomingdale’s, how we continue to trade up in value and service, and how we continue to evolve as an upscale, accessible luxury brand,” 

Beyond Gucci and Vuitton, there are 48 brand concept shops in the store, including Chloé, Burberry, Tory Burch and Ferragamo in accessories and Chanel, Illamasqua, La Mer, La Prairie, MAC, Sisley and Jo Malone in cosmetics. 

Women’s ready-to-wear shops include All Saints, Burberry, Diane von Furstenberg, Helmut Lang, Karen Millen, Maje, Rag & Bone, Sandro, Ted Baker, Theory, Tory Burch and Vince. Men’s shops include Boss Hugo Boss, Moncler and John Varvatos.

By comparison, the Santa Monica store has three vendor shops.

“Customers in this market are very brand-conscious,” said Jack Hruska, excutive v, creative services. “This is more of a flagship presentation. Usually in our smaller locations we don’t have this degree of brand penetration.”

Bloomingdale’s gutted a former Mervyn’s store, expanding the footprint deeper into the mall and taking over an existing skylight. At night, reports WWD, the store will be visible from afar, with a combination of LED illuminated squares and pale gray, silver, green and black tiles.