Thread regarding Macy's Inc. layoffs

OP needs to read post below this to understand why captain positions don't automatically lead to executive ones. They have no clue what the jobs entail. It's more than hanging up the big red ba--s every holiday season.

I was a VM for Macys for 30 years, got laid off during the Covid layoffs. Whoever made that decision didn't have a clue on what VMs did in the store. They thought they could keep or hire younger people to do the job and pay then less. Not everyone can do this job. You need to have an eye for retail spaces and creativity to make something look great when you sometimes have nothing to work with. Spatial recognition, merchandising abilities, business acumen, staff development, recognition, and motivational conversions, ability to work with store staff, regional, and corporate layers in an effective, persuasive manner are all keys to being an effective Visual Merchandising Manager. You can't just be a yes person. The store manager will run all over you. And that's exactly what happened when they dismantled the Visual Division. That's why the stores look like cr-p all the time. They always need to pull a blitz team in for Regional visits. Stores day in and day out do not look like that at all. Visual Managers had the role to be the check and balances for those out of control store managers. Not to mention there are other skills you need to have like using power tools, how to properly place art/ collateral vs merchandise. Properly place strike points vs proper fixturing. How to repurpose materials or store resources to save company expenses, budget and payroll management. I could go on and on. Macys made a big mistake letting all the talented and tenured VMs go. All that experience and talent isn't something you can learn at a trade school. It's a culmination of years of real world retail experience, the mentoring from previous talented Vms or Regionals you engage with throughout your career, and having the talent to just "make it happen" to sell merchandise and help the store, region, or even the whole company make a profit. I seen so many VMs create in store presentations in a local store and made it a best practice for the entire company to sell...sell...sell merchandise not to mention create enjoyment for the customer as they shop the stores. It's not all about putting up the red clearance tables out and selling merchandise at low margins. Good luck Macys....what was once a retail powerhouse is sliding fast into the abyss.

STM is in charge of filling the Visual Merchandising Manager position. Internals first, then externals get dibs to apply.

Sounds like the person below applied for the VM job and didn't get it... :( I think anyone who was a VM before Covid should be hired back into that job.

So who are they promoting to this role? Have there been any VMs hired yet?

I don’t care how much $$$ they’re paying. I’ve been in the Visual circle since FOREVER! With other stores that are now defunctst. I WAS a visual MGR, that came back as ”Captain”… before Covid, You can keep that F’rn title!
What a JOKE!

I hope hat all the visual changes work out for everyone. However until Macy's brings back some better quality inventory in stock, the visual team has very little to work with. Customers do not want all of the private label trash that JG was pushing. Hopefully Tony will give some direction to merchandising
and that in turn will help the visual team to make Macy's a desirable place to shop again.

The VMM will work in symbiosis with the SMM

Sounds like the SMM is the old MTM.

The salaried exec VM can now hide in the office.

Even if the VM doesn't technically have direct reports, they're still an executive (or the position used to be consistent one).

Look at the title and read the job description before you post . The VM has NO direct reports.The SMM is s
Responsible for the merchandising. As far as I can see the VM is getting paid a high amount with no direct reports? How is this fair and equal? It’s bad enough that the MBA has between 2-3 direct reports while all the other managers actually manage a full team .

Who will report to the SMM if merchandising colleagues report to the VM?

Merchandising colleagues will report to the Visual Merchandising Manager and will have to train, coach, and conduct performance reviews. In addition to disciplinary actions on reliability and quarterly check ins. Business meetings with the Divisional Visual directors and perform floor moves and bi annual floor planning maps.

I heard that the stores getting visual managers aren't getting visual teams, and that support associates are supposed to help out with mannequins and such. However, this was the idea with the visual captains and it didn't work, not sure why they think it'll work now. Smart stores will keep the visual captain in, as the poster below says, a "non-budgeted" trimmer capacity on the support staff. I guess we'll see what happens.

I would be curious to know if those stores that qualify to have their visual manager position reinstated, also are prepared to add a staff of qualified trimmers? The ISM program was never fully implemented in the store in which I work. It retained its one highly skilled trimmer (a former manager) as visual captain and, courtesy of our store manager, placed a thirty-five-year veteran and expert fashion stylist in a non-budgeted role as trimmer. On occasion and as a retiree, I have been brought in to help in Home, assist with Christmas installation and floor moves, and other miscellaneous duties as needed. As a result, our store has been in better shape. I know of only one sales associate who has the skills needed to merchandise and execute displays. In fact, she’s so accomplished that she helped blitz one of our sister stores to prepare for a visit. I’ve long wondered how the stores with less seasoned colleagues have managed.

STM’s knew in advance. The Visual Merchandising Manager position was posted on Thursday morning.

They just announced it and our store already has hired a visual manager. They knew it was coming. She starts in a couple weeks

Be very careful, they eliminated this position once before, they will definitely do it again. No one is safe.

If you frequently get good feedback from your SMM and/or store manager for how you manage your workload and your divisional leaders have a good impression of you, you may have a fair shot. Even if you don’t get it, just think of it this way: you got some practical experience in the field and whatever skills you picked up along the way are transferable. If you love what you do, keep pursuing it, don’t let Macy’s and its dysfunction discourage you!

The reality is that your subordinates are your 2130 friends and that won’t fly with the STM. Good luck VC’s.

SMH there's a lot more to VM than just being good at visual and getting paid more for it. You need to understand the business side of things and also be able to manage/coach subordinates.

Thanks for the comments
I have been in the visual world for almost 8 years started as a visual sytlist & stepped-up into the captian role after they cut VM and sadly all the great VM did leave the company. I have gotten positive feedback during regional visits and everything I do. I've worked hard to get to where I am.

I haven't heard anything yet about my application. Fingers crossed!

Most of those in-store salaried execs who got laid off are also not qualified to do visual. Visual is a very specialized thing and it would su-k if some OOM who can't discern purple from blue got one of those coveted VM jobs. The whole reason Macy's was forced to bring back visual managers is because the stores are a hot mess. Putting someone into that role who isn't qualified isn't going to improve anything.

I think you should go for it . One thing going for you is that they would not have to pay you as much as the other so called "experienced managers" which is a plus. I know the VC at my store worked very closely with the SMM...less experienced doesn't mean you won't be considered. If you are confident enough about your ability to adapt into a new role why not?? and also apply for a Target VM position at the same time...they pay pretty good and a company that is thriving.

Competition will be fierce. Salaried 4 wall execs who got let go from the store and let go execs from nearby stores will apply.

I've heard the competition for the Visual Manager jobs is going to be fierce. I think the only Visual Captains who have a chance are the ones who were previously Visual Managers and then demoted during Covid.

No chance sorry. You need to get managerial experience.

You’re not qualified for the Visual Merchandising Manager position. You will have 2130’s as your subordinates. Try applying for a selling captain position and then work your way up to a manager position.