Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Talks
Episode: Macy’s CEO Tony Spring Talks Store Improvements
Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Bloomberg
Guest: Tony Spring, CEO of Macy’s
Episode Overview
This episode features a candid, forward-looking conversation with Macy’s CEO, Tony Spring. The discussion centers around Macy’s recent uptick in foot traffic, store modernization efforts, and Spring’s comprehensive turnaround strategy aimed at streamlining Macy’s footprint and elevating the customer experience. The episode explores Spring's leadership philosophy, store closure plans, remodel initiatives, and the integration of digital and physical retail experiences.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Customer Experience as Top Priority
(01:01 – 02:33)
- Tony Spring outlines his initial focus on boosting Macy’s customer service.
- Macy's has achieved "record customer service scores" via improved Net Promoter Scores—measuring likelihood to recommend Macy's.
- Spring talks about:
- Broadening product assortment: “We need to go good, better, best, contemporary to classic, and a range of brands…convenient, staples, Levi’s, Nike.”
- Balancing iconic staples with emerging, lesser-known brands to keep the offering fresh and destination-worthy.
Notable Quote:
“We've improved the quality of the assortments. I thought there was way too much redundancy, way too many of the same things... We've got to be there introducing new things that you haven't heard of that are becoming more popular because people are looking for that combination in the destination.”
— Tony Spring, (01:17)
2. Leadership, Strategy, and Company Culture
(01:34 – 02:33)
- Spring emphasizes the alignment of strategy, culture, leadership, and execution.
- Asserts that a successful turnaround requires all four elements to work together.
- Notes the importance of patience in achieving change and the determination to see strategies through.
Notable Quote:
“You have to accept the fact that some things just don't happen because you snap your fingers. And then you have to have the determination, the ambition to kind of go after what you think is the right thing to do for the business.”
— Tony Spring, (02:20)
3. Shrinking and Modernizing Macy’s Store Footprint
(02:33 – 03:46)
- Strategic reduction from 700–800 stores at its peak to around 400, with a near-term goal of about 350 stores.
- The dual approach: closing unviable stores while investing in substantial remodels (already 125 stores updated).
- Store closings alone are not a full strategy; reinvention of valuable locations is equally key.
Notable Quote:
“Closing stores is not alone a strategy. Reimagining stores without dealing with stores that are past their prime is not complete enough of a strategy. So we want to make sure that we're doing both things.”
— Tony Spring, (03:11)
4. Integrating Digital Commerce and Omnichannel Engagement
(03:17 – 03:46)
- Healthy digital business growth is central—digital is viewed not just as a “channel” but as a “geography” crucial to customer relations.
- Focus on seamless experiences across physical and digital storefronts, recognizing that online customers often cross over with in-store clientele.
Notable Quote:
“The digital business is actually a geography. The people who shop digitally in New York shop in their stores in New York. And they want to see a great experience digitally, physically and in between.”
— Tony Spring, (03:36)
Memorable Moments
- Spring’s patient-yet-determined approach to change, emphasizing that both character traits are essential for retail transformation. (02:20)
- Redefining digital engagement as a “geography,” which reflects Macy’s evolving omnichannel mindset. (03:36)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 01:01 – Tony Spring on enhancing customer service and product assortment
- 01:34 – The importance of strategy, culture, leadership, and execution
- 02:33 – Discussion on the planned reduction of Macy’s retail footprint
- 03:17 – The approach to both closing and remodeling stores
- 03:36 – Digital business as a geography and the omnichannel experience
Tone & Language
Tony Spring speaks with a pragmatic, optimistic tone rooted in retail expertise. His approach combines straightforward assessments (“way too much redundancy”) with vision-driven statements about Macy’s future and customer focus.
Conclusion
Tony Spring offers a nuanced view of retail transformation in a challenging environment. Macy’s strategy under his leadership includes a smaller but more vibrant footprint, improved assortment and customer experience, and a seamless blend of digital and physical retail. The episode offers insightful takeaways for anyone following the future of department stores and retail leadership.