Macy's revamped its Santaland and brought back Holiday Square as part of a seasonal strategy to drive store traffic during the holiday period, per Retail Dive.
ReadingThe steal: if you have a seasonal business (holidays, summer, back-to-school), do not just run discounts during the season. Create an in-store or in-booth event that gives families or groups a reason to spend time, not just money. A product demo, a photo op, a limited-edition unboxing — anything that justifies the trip. The attachment sale (the thing they did not plan to buy but grabbed while they were there) is the margin you miss if the customer is in and out in five minutes.
MY STASH TAKESantaland is not new; Macy's is just admitting that it works. Kids want to see Santa; parents buy while they wait. The lesson for small brands: every retail moment should have a micro-event built in. A pop-up with free samples, a raffle, a photo with the founder — anything that stops a buyer from speed-running through the space. The longer a buyer is there, the more they see, touch, and buy. Macy's is also signaling that the store is still a place where memory happens, not just commerce. That is real.
WatchWatch for Macy's to test other experiential anchors year-round or to measure attach rate during holiday events against non-event periods.