Union High Marketing Students Tour Macy’s Herald Square

Students at Union High Schools’ Fashion Marketing classes got the opportunity to get the inside scoop of the marketing strategies behind the world’s largest retailer. Twenty-nine students, along with their teacher Ms. Katie Snyder toured the Herald Square retail store on December 1st. The tour which is a part of Macy’s Tourism Marketing and Development program was led John Wiltberger an 18 year veteran of the company. The tour started with the history of Macy’s and the growth of the huge retailer since its official opening in 1857. Student were taking through different departments within the 11 floors of selling space and giving information on the marketing and advertising strategies used to attract customers to each department.
“The relationship that we have established with Macy’s Herald Square over the past 15 years or so has been so positive,” said Ms. Snyder. “This trip is a great reinforcement to what the students learn in Fashion Marketing class. I love that it gives my students a chance to observe and evaluate a lot of the marketing strategies we talk about in class.”
With over 5,000 employees at the Herald square location alone, students learned about the different career opportunities in the retail industry. Students were also informed of the 3 subdivisions within the marketing and advertising department that works together to promote the giant retailer. The entertainment group is responsible for events such as the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 4th of July fireworks. These events along with others are used as a way to keep Macy’s name current but also as a way to get people into the stores to shop. The tourism and marketing development sector is responsible for making sure that those who come in from out of town are welcomed and informed about Macy’s and also they are giving coupons for sales. Macy’s prides itself with being socially responsible. The cause marketing group focuses on ways to give back to the community. Currently, for the holiday season, the retailer is running the “Letter to Santa” campaign where for every letter that is written to Santa, Macy’s makes a $1 donation to the Make-a-Wish foundation.
Ciara Johnson, a sophomore expressed, “I love my marketing class because it allows us to have real discussions about the retail industry. This trip was fun but also very informative; I learned so much about their history that I did not know.”
The students learned about the different demographics that the store caters to and how they use marketing to attract them. Students were particularly interested in the junior department of the store where bright colors, eclectic decor, current music and even restaurants were used to keep them engaged. “Coming here on a school day and getting a tour has given me a different perspective on the shopping experience, “ Sarah Williams a senior shared. “I enjoyed seeing the different merchandise and the diversity of people shopping at this location compared to the other in Jersey.”
The few young men of the group were interested to learn about the strategic setup of the department that caters to them. This department used dark colors, industrial style lights, rustic wood flooring and even a pizza bar to attract their age group. Mannequins throughout the store were headless and did not particularly favor a certain ethnic group. The reason according to the tour guide is for the customer to focus on the merchandise instead of the look of the mannequins.
Michael Matullo, a senior expressed, “It’s such a great vibe coming into the city and learning about the strategies used to keep you in the store to shop. I loved how each floor caters to different demographics that we’ve learned about in class.”
Overall the trip was a success. “I’ve been coming on this trip for over 15 years now and it is always a pleasure to experience the tour with a different group of students each year,” Mrs. Akua Boakye, a Marketing teacher and chap-erone stated. “Any opportunity to expose the students to the reality of what we teach in the classroom is a win-win.”
The Fashion Marketing course is a part of the many great business and marketing courses offered at Union High School in the Business Department.