Why Bloomingdale’s Promoted Denise Magid To Be Their Chief Merchant

Bloomingdale’s promoted Denise Magid to be their first Chief Merchant. She is truly qualified for this role which will allow her to both protect and expand the brand. In this post, Magid will drive the strategic direction and performance of all Bloomingdale’s merchandising initiatives. She assumed the new post on Thursday March 23, 2023.

Bloomingdale’s is a luxury retailer and Magid will drive the strategic direction and performance of all Bloomingdale’s initiatives. She will be responsible for product assortment and ultimately influencing the future growth of the Bloomingdale’s Brand. Magid will report to Tony Spring, CEO of Bloomingdale’s.

This is a historic step for Bloomingdale’s, who, until now, did not have an overall GMM for the enterprise, but had the President and CEO act as chief merchant. Men like Lawrence Lachman, Marvin Traub and Michael Gould brought unique merchandising vision and excitement to the store during their tenure as CEO. Certainly, Tony Spring also brought new merchandise ideas to the store, including creating the shoe floor, and changing fashion presentation.

Tony Spring said: “We are confident that Denise’s vision and leadership will continue to strengthen our relationship with our brand partners and further refine how we can cater to the ultimate needs of the Bloomingdale’s customer. We look forward to Denise’s impact in the newly created role.”

Magid is well-respected and brings extensive experience as well as a successful retail track record. She held leadership roles at both Intermix and Saks Fifth Avenue before joining Bloomingdale’s in 2019 as GMM of ready to wear and concessions. She assumed responsibility for off-price in 2020 and women’s accessories in 2021. In these roles she has displayed a strong strategic vision and demonstrated exceptional taste.

Magid responded: “It has been such an honor to be part of the Bloomingdale’s family through these transformative years. I look forward to taking on the role of Chief Merchant and working closely with the GMM’s and the Bloomingdale’s team to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Bloomingdale’s holds a special place in the retail landscape, yet I truly believe that the best is yet to come.”

Bloomingdale’s has a number of GMM’s directing the purchase of men’s wear, women’s apparel, children’s wear and home. The title is a reward for making luxury statements in a luxury store. Quite frankly, the title should be reserved for the top spot, which Magid now occupies. It is a title that most stores reserve for the top merchant.

Bloomingdale’s is America’s only nationwide, full-line upscale department store. It is a division of Macy’s and currently operates 34 Bloomindale’s stores, 20 Outlet stores and two Bloomies stores. It recently opened a major unit in Hawaii. It also has an international presence in Dubai and Kuwait. The store just finished celebrating its 150^th Anniversary since it was founded by brothers Lyman and Joseph Bloomindale as well as their father Benjamin in 1872.

POSTSCRIPT: Welcome Denise Magid. Bloomingdale’s is an exciting store and you surely can bring more innovation in future years. It will be fun to watch you develop new images and attractions for younger shoppers. It will be a collaborative effort with everyone pitching in to execute a new vision.