Recently, I caught this story on television when I tuned into Portland’s KGW evening newscast. The lead drew my attention because I for one was shocked to hear the words “Macy’s,” “diamonds” and “fake” in the same sentence.
In my media management class at the University of Oregon, we’ve been heavily discussing the idea of “lovemarks;” to me Macy’s is a company that exemplifies the spirit of a lovemark. Macy’s has been around for 150 years, and is a retail store that changes with the times and reflects the spirit of America.
When I think of Thanksgiving, one of the first things to enter my mind is the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade. I grew up watching it, and continue to watch it to this day. I’m emotionally attached to Macy’s. It’s not just a store, it’s a brand that I’m committed to because I have strong feelings connected to it. These are a few of the characteristics that define lovemarks.
For me to hear that one of my most beloved department stores sold fake goods (albeit unknowingly) was saddening. The man who purchased the fake diamonds was told by the manager of the Clackamas Town Center store (my Macy’s!) that although the circumstances were regrettable, there was nothing they could do about it because the fine jewelry department is leased out by another company and it wasn’t their responsibility.
Am I wrong in thinking that if you allow a vendor to lease a space in your store and sell goods that are printed on receipts that have your return policy that you are in fact responsible for any merchandise discrepancies that may arise as a result?
This response seems contrary to what I would expect from a company who has a corporate philosophy that claims their competitive edge is based on having strategies that are customer-centric.
Macy’s corporate officials say that every diamond is now checked for authenticity upon arriving at the store, and rechecked again after a purchase is made. In addition to enacting stricter quality control standards in their fine jewelry department, Macy’s has since apologized to the customer and offered an exchange of a real diamond bracelet for the fake one (note: this came after the story broke on KGW).
Although the customer is pleased with the outcome, I am disheartened by the fact that this “happy ending” was only achieved after the story had received coverage in the media. I’m curious if the bracelet exchange would have happened if KGW hadn’t broke this news story?
I personally find the whole thing to be a bit shady. Everything from the fake bracelet being labeled as “diamond,” to the denial of responsibility for the sale of this product has caused me to lose respect and trust in the brand.
To Macy’s: I didn’t think it was possible, but you are no longer a lovemark to me. It’s regrettable that this happened, but the fact of the matter is that it did. It’s going to take a lot to build up my trust in you again, but I hope that you find a way to do so.
