Macy’s off-price concept, Backstage, coming to State Street

Macy’s State Street location is getting the retailer’s store-within-a-store concept that offers discounted merchandise.

Called Backstage, the concept will show up on State Street April 9, Macy’s said Tuesday. It is part of a national rollout of 37 Backstage locations inside existing Macy’s, including its famous Herald Square location in Manhattan.

Macy’s described each Backstage as a source for off-price, on-trend merchandise that changes every day. It features items such as apparel, beauty products and home décor that Macy’s said are unique to Backstage and not sales or clearance merchandise from the regular store.

“Macy’s Backstage inspires customers to express their personal style through its offerings of quality merchandise and brands at great prices, which is why we look forward to bringing Macy’s Backstage into more of our local communities,” said Michael Hersh, Macy’s vice president of off-price. “We are especially excited to bring Backstage to our downtown stores in Chicago and New York City as the brand expands nationwide.”

A spokeswoman said the State Street Backstage will be on the lower level and cover 12,000 square feet.

Three more Chicago-area stores also are due for a Backstage. They are the Macy’s in Bolingbrook and Fox Valley mall in Aurora, where the Backstages arrive in May, and Gurnee Mills in Gurnee, getting it in June. The exact dates are to be announced.

The company said it will hire staff for the new locations.

Backstage has operated in nearly 300 stores nationwide. Locally, they are within Macy’s at Old Orchard in Skokie, Hawthorn Center in Vernon Hills, River Oaks in Calumet City and Southlake Mall in Merrillville, Indiana.

Each Backstage ranges from 11,000 to 16,000 square feet. To compete with online merchants and to give shoppers an incentive to visit frequently, Macy’s opened two freestanding Backstages in Dallas. It’s also tried another freestanding brand, Market by Macy’s, in Texas and Georgia.

“Macy’s continues to shift its store fleet to meet the needs of changing consumer behaviors and plans to open additional off-mall locations throughout 2022,” the company said.