MACY’S TEAMS UP WITH DICK’S SPORTING GOODS AND MIRACLE-GRO ON NEXT STORY THEME

Story at Macy’s has teamed up with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Miracle-Gro to offer Macy’s customers an outdoor-inspired playground that places an editorial focus on entertaining, bringing the outside indoors, as well as recreational activities.

The shop explores the theme through a mix of curated merchandise from more than 70 brands, dynamic store design, and community-focused event programming which ranges from indoor gardening workshops to outdoor activities such as kayaking on the Hudson River. The installation will run until September.

Called “Outdoor Story”, this shop marks a set of firsts for Macy’s, as the national department store partners with the nation’s largest sporting goods retailer, Dick’s, and the category leader in gardening, Miracle-Gro, to bring the theme to life. “When Rachel Shechtman, founder of Story, came to me with the concept, I paused, because I wouldn’t have thought about partnering with another retailer to sell outdoor products at Macy’s,” shared Jeff Gennette, chairman and CEO of Macy’s, Inc. “However, as she presented her ideas and the merchandise her team was envisioning, it made a lot of sense. I reached out to Ed Stack, chairman and CEO of Dick’s, knowing that this would be a first for them as well – to share their exclusive private brand assortment in another major retailer – but he also saw the creative vision and we had the deal done and partnership launched in less than two months.”

The sporting goods retailer will come to life inside Story through a highly curated mix of apparel and hard goods from Dick’s own private brands, Alpine Design and Field & Stream, making this their first debut at another major retailer. “We see this retail collaboration between Macy’s, Miracle-Gro and Dick’s as a way to showcase how three very different American-made companies can come together to create a unique shopping experience for all customers. We wish to thank the entire Story team for thinking of Dick’s first when seeking an outdoor partner for this summer outdoor collaboration,” said Stack.

All 36 Story at Macy’s locations will also feature the newly launched Miracle-Gro Twelve Indoor Growing System, an easy-to-use, hydroponic unit specifically designed to blend seamlessly with existing home décor while growing a wide variety of foods like lettuce, kale, basil, and mint indoors. Harvesting your favorite fresh veggies and herbs year-round has never been easier! The Miracle-Gro Twelve Indoor Growing System will be sold in-store and online at www.macys.com/outdoorstory.

In addition to furniture that grows, shoppers will be able to purchase a range of live plants to highlight favorite spots in their home and living spaces. Outdoor Story will serve as an experiential teaser campaign for Greendigs, a new online brand with a mission to make the spaces in your life better with plants.

Outdoor Story will further support the Macy’s brand experience team’s ‘test and learn’ approach via a variety of cross-merchandising strategies and event programming that showcases the community of each brand. “I think people may be surprised and intrigued by our partnerships, and that is exactly what we wanted. We want to show both consumers, as well as businesses, that collaboration is the new competition; bringing together brands as storytellers to add authority and authenticity to a subject matter, like we are doing with Dick’s and Miracle-Gro, benefits both the customer and the business,” said Rachel Shechtman, Macy’s brand experience officer and founder of Story. As the retail industry continues to evolve, Shechtman noted that, “The timing felt right to lean on each brand’s respective strengths to empower new modes of collaboration and learning.”