By George Anderson
A report in the Chicago Sun-Times says that Federated Department Stores' Bloomingdale's division has begun adding in-store boutiques similar to those at soon-to-be sister company Marshall Field's State Street store in Chicago.
The shops-within-the-shop are part of an initiative at Bloomingdale's called New View which is focused on promoting the sale of women's career clothes from designers such as DKNY, Ellen Tracy, Lilly Pulitzer and others.
Jeff Binder, vice president and divisional merchandise manager at Bloomingdale's, said the in-store boutique had nothing to do with Marshall Field's or the impending merger between Federated and May Department Stores.
"Bloomingdale's has been doing vendor shops for years," adding, "We command that the vendors specially design shops for us."
Moderator's Comment: Generally speaking, are store-within-a-store and in-store boutiques a destination shop area for consumers? What is the right and wrong way to design, merchandise and market stores-within-a-store? - George Anderson - Moderator