The Future is Coming

Federated Department Stores (Cincinnati) will incorporate various “store of the future” features in 45 of its stores during the fourth quarter of this year.

Terry Lundgren, Federated's president and chief merchandising officer, outlined those plans at the recent Goldman Sachs Global Retailing conference in New York, according to reports in Women's Wear Daily.

Federated has been testing its “store of the future” concepts at the 240,000-square-foot Lazarus in the Easton Town Center (Columbus, Ohio), which opened last fall. “Once we get the fourth quarter read, we'll expand the program,” Lundgren said.

Elements of the program include 12 new technologies, shops and amenities, including: a fitting-room cluster with an adjoining waiting lobby that's equipped with TVs and computer terminal jacks; aisle scanners that let customers check prices; and larger signage. Lundgren said the program, which strives to attract younger customers, will be installed across all Federated divisions (Rich's/Lazarus/Goldsmith, Macy's East, Macy's West, The Bon Marche and Burdines) except for Bloomingdale's.