Despite its high-profile role during the holidays, especially with its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, retail giant Macy’s ranked at the bottom of DesignRush's Black Friday 2024 popularity study, sparking concerns about its future in an increasingly competitive market.
Macy’s, with its longstanding retail history, garnered just 1,449 search mentions per capita on Black Friday, making it the least favored retailer in the U.S.
This is a stark contrast to Walmart, which dominated 44 states with 21,339 mentions, and Best Buy, which took second place with 9,093 mentions.
While Macy’s continues to invest heavily in its Thanksgiving parade, its Black Friday efforts failed to capture consumer interest in the same way.
The department store sector faces unprecedented challenges in its strong history, struggling to keep pace with the shifting retail landscape.
DesignRush General Manager Gianluca Ferruggia shared his insights about the findings:
“Macy’s struggles to compete against Walmart and Best Buy underscore the changing priorities of today’s consumers.
The shift toward convenience, affordability, and specialization has left Macy’s at a disadvantage. Brands that adapt to meet evolving demands will be the ones who succeed.”
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Macy's announcement to close 150 stores, or nearly a third of its locations, is a direct response to its declining sales and foot traffic.
The company’s ability to compete against the likes of Walmart and Best Buy is further complicated by a shift toward online shopping and the growing preference for big-box retailers, which offer lower prices and convenience.
Macy’s remains a key player in the industry, especially with its yearly Thanksgiving Day Parade. But it seems that its extravagance is not enough of a pull for consumers to actually spend their money at Macy's.
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Macy’s efforts to refocus on more upscale offerings, like Bloomingdale’s, may help, but with rising competition from discount retailers and the expansion of eCommerce, the company faces an uphill battle.
As Macy’s grapples with these challenges, the future of the department store sector remains uncertain.
Only time will tell if the iconic retailer can adjust its approach in time to regain lost ground or get acquired like the Neiman Marcus Group.
DesignRush Methodology
DesignRush’s analysis examined Google search trends for two Black Friday-related terms associated with each of the top 10 retailers in the United States:
- Walmart: Walmart Black Friday, Walmart Black Friday Deals
- Best Buy: Best Buy Black Friday, Best Buy Black Friday Deals
- Target: Target Black Friday, Target Black Friday Deals
- Kohl’s: Kohl’s Black Friday, Kohl’s Black Friday Deals
- Amazon: Amazon Black Friday, Amazon Black Friday Deals
- Home Depot: Home Depot Black Friday, Home Depot Black Friday Deals
- Lowe’s: Lowe’s Black Friday, Lowe’s Black Friday Deals
- Macy’s: Macy’s Black Friday, Macy’s Black Friday Deals
- Costco: Costco Black Friday, Costco Black Friday Deals
Search volumes were adjusted based on state populations (per 100,000 people) to measure interest per capita, providing a fair and accurate representation of regional popularity across the country.
You can explore the full dataset of the study to gain a deeper understanding of the findings.
