Macy’s opens new Backstage store in Sheepshead Bay

September 4, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz (at left in white shirt) helps Macy’s representatives cut the ribbon to mark the new store’s official opening. Eagle photos by Paula Katinas

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You won’t have to go to Herald Square to shop at Macy’s anymore. The iconic department store has set up shop in Sheepshead Bay, at the site of the former Loehmann’s.

On Wednesday, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place to mark the grand opening of Macy’s Backstage at 2027 Emmons Ave., as hundreds of local residents lined up outside for the chance to be the first to shop in the new store.

The Sheepshead Bay site is the first Macy’s Backstage store to open in Brooklyn. Macy’s Backstage also has shops in Queens and on Long Island. And there are plans to open stores in New Hyde Park, the Bronx and New Jersey.

Macy’s Backstage represents a new venture for Macy’s, according to store officials, who said the concept is simple: Give the customer the glamour of the Macy’s shopping experience but with discount prices.

The new store is a cross between a department store and an outlet, according to Macy’s representatives who were on hand at the grand opening. Fashion, home goods, cosmetics, gifts, activewear, jewelry, luggage, toys and more are available at lower prices than one would normally pay.

Many of the items, including fashions, will be from the previous season, according to a press release issued by Macy’s, which stated that savvy shoppers will now get a chance to purchase that sweater, handbag, dress or pair of shoes they missed during the previous year.

Vanessa LeFebvre, senior vice president and general manager of Macy’s Backstage stores, came up with the concept of combining department store chic with bargain priced merchandise.

“As a new business venture for Macy’s, we are ecstatic about our debut of Macy’s backstage. It is exhilarating to create an exciting and entertaining destination for the customer who loves to shop and loves a bargain even more. Macy’s Backstage is for the shopper who is always on the hunt for a deal, where time, convenience and money are a commodity,” LeFebvre said in a statement.

The Sheephead Bay store has two floors and includes cute signs on clothing racks such as “I Have Enough Clothes. Said No One Ever.” A sign on the wall read, “How can it cost so little to look this good?”

On the first floor, there is a “Center Stage” area, a special space designated for the latest trends. The area even has a red carpet to make a shopper feel like a star.

All of the Macy’s Backstage stores will have free Wi-Fi and juice bars.

The new store is implementing a Give Backstage program in which Macy’s will donate money to the Sheepshead Bay community. From now until Nov. 1, Macy’s Backstage will ask customers to donate $1 or more when they pay for their merchandise at the register. The funds will be given to Brooklyn Public Library’s Sheepshead Bay branch.

Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Sheepshead Bay) helped Macy’s officials cut the ribbon. “We want to thank you for coming to Sheepshead Bay,” he told the Macy’s representatives. Cymbrowitz noted that the neighborhood sustained a great deal of damage during Superstorm Sandy and that the new Macy’s Backstage is a shot in the arm.