Macy's Chief Merchandising Officer Nata Dvir reveals how the department store is overhauling its private-label brand strategy using deep customer insights. Learn how extensive customer research, including 100,000 surveys and in-store fittings, directly informed the launch of their new womenswear brand, On 34th. This episode offers a masterclass in leveraging customer data to build successful, loyal-driving private brands that compete with national labels.
Key takeaways
Implement a multi-pronged customer research approach combining quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (digital communities, in-store fittings) methods to gain comprehensive insights.
Anchor private-label brand development in explicit customer needs and preferences to ensure relevance and drive loyalty.
Strategically balance private-label and market brands to create a compelling and cohesive product portfolio that caters to evolving customer demands.
Focus private-label brand development on attributes that enhance retailer control, such as design, distribution, quality, and fit, to differentiate and build strong brand equity.
Plan future private label launches with a clear purpose and customer-centric approach, leveraging insights from previous launches to refine strategies.
Develop private label brands with specific target demographics and design philosophies (e.g., outfit versatility) to meet distinct customer segment needs.
Macy’s chief merchandising officer, Nata Dvir, is leading the company's private-brand evolution.
The department store is rethinking its portfolio of private label brands across all product categories, including men’s, women’s, kids and home. That includes adding, refreshing and editing brands through a new customer-centric strategy.
In August, Macy’s launched the private-label womenswear brand On 34th, which was informed by extensive research on its customer. The brand, which targets customers ages 30-50, centers on ready-to-wear items and accessories that were made to create thousands of outfit combinations. “It was informed by over 100,000 online surveys that we did,” said Dvir. “We collected a lot of intelligence around what our customers were looking for. We also did 35 days of digital community engagement, where we viewed customer videos about what they're looking for, what's missing from their wardrobe and what role we could play. And we did hundreds of hours of in-store fittings and shop-alongs, which provided the kind of insight that you can only get when you're talking to somebody one-on-one.”
The company has been rethinking its retailer-brand strategies as well. “The mix of private and market brands was something we spent a lot of time strategizing around, with a focus on the future portfolio of brands that is going to be relevant for our customers today and in the future,” said Dvir. “Private brands are an important part of our overall strategy because they allow us to have a tremendous amount of oversight over the brand, from a distribution and design perspective, as well as a quality and fit [perspective]. They also drive a lot of loyalty and repeat visits.”
Macy's plans to release four additional private-label brands through 2025, each focused on a unique purpose and rooted in customer research, Dvir said.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Implement a multi-pronged customer research approach combining quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (digital communities, in-store fittings) methods to gain comprehensive insights.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Anchor private-label brand development in explicit customer needs and preferences to ensure relevance and drive loyalty.
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
Strategically balance private-label and market brands to create a compelling and cohesive product portfolio that caters to evolving customer demands.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Focus private-label brand development on attributes that enhance retailer control, such as design, distribution, quality, and fit, to differentiate and build strong brand equity.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Plan future private label launches with a clear purpose and customer-centric approach, leveraging insights from previous launches to refine strategies.
