Company tries to revive old brands such as Bullock’s and The Broadway.
File this one under “did you think to ask a lawyer about this first?”
Department store company Macy’s has filed a federal lawsuit (pdf) against a company that’s trying to bring back Macy’s legacy brands.
The company, Strategic Marks, LLC, has filed trademark applications for some of Macy’s brands such as May Company and Robinson’s, and set up shop on the web at RetroDepartmentStores.com.
According to the web site, the company plan to “bring back nine of the great department stores of the 20th century: Joseph Magnin, Bullock’s, May, Robinson’s May, Jordan Marsh, Filene’s, The Broadway, The Bon Marche, and Abraham & Strauss, and re-build and restore these well-loved brands.”
It’s starting with an online store — complete with the actual logos these stores used in the past — and hopes to open physical stores as well.
“We’re thrilled to be able to bring back a little part of Americana home so watch this space for more updates!” the site says.
I think watching this space for lawsuits will be more interesting.
Mike says
I don’t recognize any of those brands, and I am in my 40’s.
Mike Maddaloni - @thehotiron says
I am in my 40’s too and am originally from the Boston area so I know Filene’s and Jordan Marsh well, and am familiar with many of the other ones.
Where this is a valiant effort, the law is on Macy’s side. However if Macy’s was smart they could license these brands, even applying restrictions to their use, and make a bundle. That is if they were smart.
mp/m
Andrew Allemann says
It appears that Macy’s still uses the brands on some of its products.
PDX Guy says
I hope Macy’s loses out big time. If they are so interested in the names, why didn’t they keep them? If they abandoned the trademarks, then someone else can scoop them up, which is what is happening here.
I would love to see The Bon Marche resurrected here in the NW and put Macy’s in the ground where they belong.
Marg says
I’m also in the Pacific NW and loved the old Bon Marche in Seattle. Macys has dumbed it down and it’s not the special store it was before.
Mike Maddaloni - @thehotiron says
Macy’s will probably never fully release the brands they acquired thru their acquisitions. Note that Macy’s itself was an acquisition of Federated department stores, which renamed itself to the iconic brand.
In many cases the shuttered brands are still in use. Chicago’s Marshall Field’s flagship store, now a Macy’s, still has plaques with the Field’s name as it is a historic building. Some Frango mints are still branded with the Field’s name, and their former domain name, fields.com, still points to macys.com.
mp/m
domain guy says
if macys does not use these brands for a significant amount of time..the register of the online brands could file a petition for abandondment of a trademark.and take over..
there are other requirements no advertising,no sales etc..I own a brand that was abandoned and picked up the domain name…
Jeremy Leader says
I recognize Joseph Magnin (I thought it was I.Magnin?), Bullocks, Robinsons, May Co., and Broadway from the last 30 years I’ve lived in Southern California. Abraham & Strauss I recognize from my childhood in New Jersey (I think they were in New York?)