Macy’s

Love this store! The smaller size gives everyone one on one attention! Let’s hope we don’t lose it!
If you can’t find what you want, the staff will diligently search all stores to find it!

THIS MACY’S F’ING SUCKS!!! So gross and dirty inside, the staff couldn’t give a shit about you, and the selection was beyond poor.
Hard, hard pass on this place.

Yes, it’s smaller than most Macy’s therefore that it doesn’t have the selection that the KoP store has… that makes sense. Saying that, they still have great sales, still have some cute things and I have found the sales people to be very pleasant and to go out of their way to be helpful. I am happy to have something affordable in Suburban Square.

Rather old and dingy compared to the rest of the square. Call me crazy but i like it because i always find nice sized 10 shoes here.
Architecturally this place is a gem from a bygone era. I am just sorry Macy’s didn’t maintain the interior esthetics that Wanamaker’s had.

My experience today trying to return a coffee maker to the Ardmore location illustrates why Macy’s will go out of business within the next two years, and more importantly, why they’ll deserve it.
A friend recently bought us a coffee maker as a gift. Unfortunately, the coffee maker is white, and everything else in the kitchen is stainless steel. Clearly, not a big deal, but since the same coffee maker comes in stainless steel, my wife and I figured we would just exchange the one coffee maker for the other (or if they didn’t have the other in stock, for store credit which could be redeemed online).
After a 30 minute drive, I walked into the store, wasn’t greeted by anyone, and eventually found my way to the service department on the fourth floor. When I tried to exchange the coffee maker for store credit, I was told that they don’t accept home goods returns at this store because this store no longer sells home goods.
What the fuck, Macy’s?!! It’s still the same company! You should be able to return any item purchased at Macy’s to any Macy’s location. That’s about as common sense as you get. How the returned item gets to where it needs to be is your internal fucking business. Jesus Christ. I don’t think I could design a system more disrespectful to customers if I tried. And the woman – elderly African American woman in the 4^th floor service department – with whom I spoke didn’t even offer an apology for such an idiotic policy. In fact, she wasn’t in the least empathetic. So now I have to go home and spend the rest of my Saturday researching various Macy’s locations to find one that carries Home Goods, so I can exchange a god damn coffee maker I never even wanted. This is why when Macy’s goes out of business in two years, I’m going to sit down, make myself a drink, and giggle my little ass off.
Given my experience today, I’ve listed several possible mottos below that Macy’s may want to consider adopting (feel free to add your own based on your own terrible experience at Macy’s):
Macy’s: The Fuck Did You Expect
Macy’s: Fuck Your Convenience
Macy’s: Our Customers Ain’t Shit
Macy’s: Like We Give a Fuck
Macy’s: We Make Arby’s Look Classy

This Macy’s doesn’t even compare to the one at the kop mall, but if you’re in a bind and need something quick, this might be one of a few limited options. For what it is, it’s not bad. It’s a bit small but they have a little bit of everything. I always find myself looking at the jewelry. They have a good selection of that. Otherwise, they do need to renovate and if possible, expand.

Sometimes I’m surprised at the staying power of department stores. Just seems that having to purchase all of that stock with the hopes of selling some portion of it and returning the rest to suppliers seems terribly inefficient. But in this case, I’m glad they’re still there.
I ordered something from
on ¹¹⁄₂₇ and the website quickly showed expected shipping date of ¹¹⁄₃₀. It continued to show that on ¹²⁄₅. I called and was told to be patient and the order should arrive within a couple days. I called back on ¹²⁄₈ and was put on hold three times for a total of 35+ minutes only to be told that the order was shipped and should be arriving soon. But the site would still show «expected shipping date: 11÷30÷12». Just don’t worry about that, I was told. She said talked to the store that shipped it I told her that this doesn’t seem true and that something else is going on but fine, I’ll give them two more days.
So two days later when the item still had not arrived, I called again. This time I was told that there was a store near me that had the item and that I could just go pick it up which I did. One problem, they never cancelled my on line order. So everyday, there was a authorization on my debit card for $ 70.
I called today to tell them to cancel the online order and release the preauthorization since I had already picked up the item at the store and paid for it (only $ 38 on sale at the store and no shipping which is nice). At first the woman said they could not cancel it and that I would have to return the item once I did eventually get it. I was picturing this never ending $ 70 preauthorization on my card (meaning you can’t use that $ 70) which I would have to fight about for months to come. I told her that was not how this was going to go down and I needed a manager. After a lengthy wait on hold, she came back to tell me that they have shipped me the watch express delivery and reversed the charge on my card. So I’m supposedly getting a second watch for free. I guess I can return the first one. She said I’d get a confirm email and the hold would be reversed. So far, neither has happened. We shall see.
So this review is about the actual store which I am glad is still there. I’m giving them three stars. I will cut and paste the bulk of this write-​up into a review of
(1 star).

I’ll keep this short. I visited this Macy’s on a weekday afternoon to peruse the shoe department and just in general, to check out this Macy’s location. While I must say the architecture of this building is quite beautiful and the other stores located at Suburban Square are quite nice (e.g. Williams-​Sonoma), this Macy’s location sucks!!! And it’s super small!
They don’t have a very good selection of items and what they do have looks rather cheesy. In addition, the staff did not seem very eager to help. I would think if you’re working with an already small space, at least fill it with top notch items… just my two cents.

I’ve come to realize that not all Macy’s department stores are the same. The day we went to this particular location, they put out water and light snacks for customers on every floor. That was nice. What’s not so great is the layout and the lack of choices.
This particular location has about four floors, with only one floor for men. The selection on the men’s floor is very limited compared to other Macy’s and the spacing is very cramped. I would probably kill time in here just looking around if I was stuck in the area. Other than that, I wouldn’t bother making a trip here.

I just wanted to add that the service here is no better than the atmosphere.
My co-​worker took me here the other night for a mini-​make-​over and although the girl at the make-​up counter was nice, my look was less than complementary. I gave her free reign with color; however, I ended up with multiple tones of purple blended in a way that made me look like I got punched in the eye.
After I informed her about that, she didn’t want to pick any more colors. Then when she toned down the look (redid my eyes with the shadows I picked out), she used liquid liner which I requested that she didn’t. (I specifically mentioned that I use pencil and don’t have the time/​patience to deal with it if I were to duplicate the look).
And once I got back into my job (as opposed to their dimly lit store), I noticed the pencil left residue all under my eye area which I had to clean off myself.
I wouldn’t recommend going here for a fun make-​over; go to the Macy’s in KOP instead.

With the holidays upon us, I’m reminded of this Macy’s.
I tried to exchange some gifts here with my 80+ yr old parents they had bought me at a Macy’s in Texas, but they couldn’t find the receipts. Of course everything they had bought was already on sale on Dec. 26^th. The clerk told me they couldn’t exchange them, then told me they would only exchange them at a severely reduced price because evidently Macy’s computers in Texas don’t communicate with those in PA. Well I can be a bit assertive, and insisted on them exchanging the full value. I was not the least impolite, but wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Suddenly, a clerk from a completely different section of the Men’s Department flew over and verbally accosted me, telling me he was going to have me forcefully removed from the store. Needless to say I made a beeline to the store manager’s office and walked away with an effusive apology and my exchanges.
So beware, some of the staff are a bit nutty. However I still like this little department store for its yesteryear vibe. But note, it is only a Men’s dept., cosmetics, and a smaller than normal women’s wear collection.

I got the stare down in here. At the time I worked in a market not far away so I was dressed in my work clothes. I was looking for a birthday gift, but given the attitudes I just left. I haven’t been back to Ardmore since.
A coworker of mine from the market interviewed for a position with this Macy’s and she turned down the job because she would’ve been making less then she did as a cashier. Eh… I’ll stick to the Macy’s downtown or in King of Prussia.

Building is Amazing… Staff is Terrible…
I get it, it’s Ardmore, you already think your better than the rest of us,
Rolling eyes and snippy comments are too much… we walk out and didn’t spend a dime… your loss Arsehole

This Macy’s is in a beautiful art-​deco building, but its striking architecture isn’t quite enough to make shopping here worthwhile.
The salespeople were grumpy, disinterested, and sometimes even hostile — I know that sometimes, after a long day working retail, it can be easy to let your cheerful «customer service» face slip a little (it certainly happened to me while I was hocking cosmetics and fragrances in a department store), but I was shopping at 11AM on a weekday.
Upstairs in the dress department, I tried on several dresses for an upcoming event, and had difficulty deciding on one. Thinking that it’d be easier to decide once I figured out what kind of shoes I’d be wearing, I asked the saleswoman to hold three of them for me for an hour or two. This is a pretty standard practice, but she gave me the worst stink eye I’ve ever seen, looked me up and down, sighed (?!?), and said, «I guess… but only for a day.»
I came back about 45 minutes later having figured out the shoe situation, and my greeting was «Oh. It’s you.» I bought one of the dresses, but I won’t be returning to this Macy’s, especially as the King of Prussia and Center City stores are so nearby.

It would seem department stores are a dying breed. I’m still pining over the loss of Wanamaker’s …
But I digress. For what it is, this Macy’s is a very pleasant store to shop in. I, too, love the architecture and overall feel of the store.
I’ve had only good experiences with the customer service, which is always pleasant — if tinged with a certain desperate air.
But why, oh why did they get rid of housewares? My favorite place for Christmas ornaments and my Fiesta ware. Couldn’t they have put mensware upstairs somewhere?
****
Oh pooh! I had to revise my review of Macy’s after a recent visit. Their merchandise has gone so far downhill. Their wonderful staff is truly trying and hanging on by a thread (I haven’t personally experienced any bad customer service here) but you almost get the impression that the owners want it to close! I was looking for a posh outfit for a speaking engagement but the clothing selection was horrific. I’m talking about polyester-​ish suits that were a throwback to the ’80’s. Oh it was sad. Even their jewelry had gone so far downhill that I couldn’t locate a single pair of earrings worth buying. When I stopped by over the holidays they didn’t even have Christmas cards! I’ll be surprised if this Macy’s is still open in 2013.

I like the nostalgic architecture /​décor and convenience the Ardmore Macy’s confers its guests. AT FIRST, I enjoyed this departure from the plethora of Macy’s that I have visited across the U.S.
However, the service leaves much to be desired. My friend & I planned to buy a few items for her boyfriend from the men’s dept on the basement level. We also planned to shop for ourselves upstairs UNTIL a sales associate hollered at us. Yes, she LITERALLY shouted at us to say we HAD to pay for the two measly items (socks!) before leaving the dept.
I don’t know if she was desperate for commission. She certainly didn’t serve us, so why would she earn commission? Maybe she needed receipts to show management there’s activity & avoid trimming hours… but who yells at shoppers? I doubt this is taught in orientation /​training. Appalled by this service, I asked if paying for items in individual depts was a new policy. She said it wasn’t, but it was increasingly being enforced… I doubt it. Enforcing this policy would compromise additional revenues in other departments.
By the time the sales transaction was complete, my friend & I no longer wanted to shop upstairs — or at any another Macy’s. When the associate explicitly ‘apologized’ for shouting at us, her coworkers heard this and had mortified expressions of disbelief on their faces. To which, the associate nonchalantly said, ‘They understand.‘
No, ma’am — you don’t understand the retail industry is suffering and you’re driving nails into its coffin. Macy’s Western division cut 1,400 jobs; some of those employees had worked for the firm for 20+ years. Every time a person spends money in a store, s/​he chooses to reward the store & its employees with revenue. Treat your clients badly, and you can & will be penalized with no sales.

I like the convenience of a department store close by, even if this is a minature version of a regular Macy’s in say, the King of Prussia mall.
The staff preteneds it’s a regular Macy’s and so do the customers it seems. There is an air about it. It feels very old school department store. I almost expect someone to walk around offering cigars and cigarettes.
I’ve also noticed that most of the staff seems a bit, well, older. They know the store, the culture, and the clientele pretty well. One of the women in the kids department recognized me after two trips and chats with me freely using my first name. I’ve not found that in the larger mall versions of Macy’s.
My main issue with the place and it’s almost a nonissue is the lack of merchandise, which can easily be written off due to lack of space. The brands are the same as other Macy’s, just few numbers of items. But having learned this, I go there knowing it’s small and I might not find everything I need.
But if I don’t, it’s no matter because I’m relaxed in this location. I’ll just come back another day.