Bloomingdale's to launch spin-off store

Bloomingdale’s is launching a scaled-down retail spinoff called Bloomie’s. The specialized version of the famed department store will offer a focus on advanced, contemporary, and luxury brands for men and women, as well as beauty. The first concept will debut at the 2-million-square-foot Mosaic District shopping center in Fairfax, Virginia this August.

The goal of Bloomie’s is to help strength Bloomingdale’s in markets where there are already full-line stores. There is potential for Bloomie’s to help support the two closest Bloomingdale’s stores in the region, including neighboring Tysons Corner Center store and the not too distant Chevy Chase, Maryland store.

Bloomingdale’s has gone by the nickname Bloomie’s for many years. In the late ‘80s, Bloomingdale’s had a Bloomie’s Express shop that operated in JFK airport offering logo-ed Bloomingdale’s merchandise, but the concept didn’t take off.

Women’s ready-to-wear brands offered will include Ganni, Staud, Maje, Rag & Bone, Cult Gaia, Jonathan Simkhai Standard, LoveShackFancy, Moussy, Mother, Frame, Re/Done, and Aqua. Women’s shoe offerings will include Stella McCartney, Jimmy Choo, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Proenza Schouler, MCM, Loeffler Randall, Birkenstock, Golden Goose, along with handbags from the likes of Mansur Gavriel, Marc Jacobs and See by Chloé, and accessories from Gucci, Celine, Dior, Saint Laurent, and Prada.

While Bloomingdale’s parent company Macy’s Inc. is focused on cost cutting measures and shuttering stores, Bloomingdale’s has always taken a very cautious approach to expansion. Since there store fleet is also very small (34 mainline stores and 20 outlets in total) they are not a huge financial risk to the company. Bloomingdale’s currently generates 3 billion dollars in revenue for Macy’s Inc.