Happy hour at the beauty bar, 5-8 p.m., first floor in cosmetics at Somerset Collection. Reserve a one-on-one free appointment with a beauty expert. Call 248-816-4130 to reserve a spot.

Shop for a cause during regular store hours at all Macy's stores. This is a one-day shopping event that raises funds for nonprofit groups. All participating organizations will sell a $5 shopping pass to the event that provides savings offers on merchandise. Participating organizations keep 100% of proceeds from sales of the shopping pass. Tickets also will be available in stores.

Shoe diva shopping party, 2-4 p.m., second floor at Somerset Collection. Shop the fall trends with a fashion show at 2:30 p.m. Reservations required. Call 800-634-3537.

Distinction in design, noon-2 p.m., Somerset. Aspiring designers are invited to present their sketches and samples to a panel of Macy's buyers and trend managers. Cash prize to the best designer.

Macy's Herald Square in Manhattan, which opened in 1902. After an expansion was completed in 1924, it became the world's largest store with 1 million square feet.

Macy's immigrant employees celebrating their new American heritage organized the first Christmas Parade in 1924, starting Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade took three years off during World War II and celebrates its 80th parade this year.

R.H. Macy & Co. merged with Federated Department Stores Inc. in 1994, creating the largest premier department store company with more than 400 department stores and 157 specialty stores in 37 states.

America has never had a national department store with all the trimmings, but that changes this Saturday when the nameplate dissolves and 10 others across the country.

The creation of the Macy's mega brand comes when consumers shop less at department stores. Department stores snared nearly 4% of total retail sales last year, down from more than 7% a decade ago, according to the National Retail Federation.

So what makes Macy's, which will have more than 800 stores in 45 states, think it can turn the tide of consumer sentiment toward it and away from fast-growing retailers like , , , , , and others?

"Federated understands that department stores were running into some problems and they had to differentiate, and that's where the private brands come in," said Frank Guzzetta, chief executive officer of Macy's North, the eight-state division with 62 stores that includes Michigan.

Guzzetta visited the Oakland Mall Macy's store in Troy on Wednesday to kick off its Parade-on-Parade exhibit that introduces customers in 23 cities to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

He said that Macy's plans to bring back a lot of the traditions that its predecessor Hudson's was known for, including sponsoring the Fash Bash again next year and bringing back the great Christmas tree tradition somewhere in the Detroit area.

Many metro Detroiters have longed for that, among them Lisa Peterson, 36, of Oxford. Peterson, who attended the parade Wednesday with her two daughters, worked at Hudson's through high school and college and misses the traditions, including the name.

Macy's will be a national department store but will be run locally in its seven divisions so it will continue to feel like a local department store, Guzzetta said. It launches a national advertising campaign today and sponsors the reality design show "Project Runway" on Bravo. But it also will continue to give to local charities and sponsor local events.

Fred Marx, who had executive positions at Federated, Macy's and Hudson's during the 1970s and now is a retail consultant in Farmington Hills, said he sees Macy's bringing back some of the polish that distinguished premier department stores from cookie-cutter ones.

"I think they will see a company proud to be a department store instead of a poor stepchild of another company," Marx said. "I think people in this market will just be elated that someone who is a first-class operator is putting forth the energy and will restore the luster and polish that Hudson's had many, many years ago. It won't be long before people are very happy that Federated was the survivor.

"Today when we think of department stores, it's couponitis. That is not the way Macy's is running the business," Marx said. "Macy's is bringing back some of the refinement and polish that distinguished department stores."

And unlike middle-market department stores like and that do not operate grand flagship stores or focus on building relationships with customers, Macy's will not have a cookie-cutter feel, he said. Shoppers will see variances between Macy's stores in every market.

Cheryl Holland Bridges, a former Federated executive and now director of Texas A&M's Center for Retailing Studies, said the merger will make Macy's more competitive. It will have more leverage with vendors and can develop more exclusive product.

"For years, analysts questioned the long-term viability of department stores as consumers spent more of their dollars off-mall," Bridges said. "With the launch of Macy's as a national brand, we may see consumers more enthusiastic about traditional department stores."

Federated executives say a combination of better fashion and affordable luxury should help change minds about what a department store should be.

Over the summer, Macy's stocked the Marshall Field's stores with its private apparel and home goods brands, including , , the , , and others. Last year, 18% of Macy's sales came from its private label business.

Many shoppers are still loyal to the department store format, including Shirley Varney of Warren, who shopped recently at the Oakland Mall store in Troy. She's impressed by store upgrades such as remodeled fitting rooms, the new employee dress code and the star power of the Macy's name.

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