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There's a wonderful feature on department store Lord & Taylor by Toni Schlesinger in the Observer today. Earlier in the summer, it was announced that the Lord & Taylor chain had been sold to an investor group including the folks that backed the Time-Warner Center; though the deal isn't finalized yet, when Schlesinger wonders if condos could be built on top of the 424 Fifth Avenue location, lead investor Richard Baker says, "Yes, we could build on top. But we have made no decision what to do with the existing building." And he added, “I’m getting a lot of e-mails: ‘Don’t mess with Lord & Taylor!’”
It'll be intriguing what happens with Lord & Taylor in the future, because it's such an afterthought of a department store. One tends to think about Macy's for most anything (even though it's almost prohibitively crowded), Bloomingdale's for nicer things and Barneys for even nicer things. But Lord & Taylor will never be considered - at least, not amongst our friends. Who shops there, in that huge 600,000 store? Our mothers and grandmothers, it seems. From the article:
[O]ne Wednesday evening Lorna Stevens, 62, with short white hair and comfortable black suede shoes, who has worked for the last 20 years in humanitarian relief and lives in Peter Cooper Village, was staring at the store directory looking for “Intimate Apparel.” She said she has been coming to Lord & Taylor forever. “I was just looking for Jockey shorts for my husband. They have Polo, Ralph Lauren—no Jockey. They used to. I’ve been shopping here my whole life. Barneys, Bergdorf’s? It’s not for me. This is where I go. Before I came here, I went to B. Altman. Here, you can count on being able to get normal clothes for normal people.”Yeah, the brand is probably in need of a shake-up to attract customers without gray hair - and apparently the store has been making strides in appealing to younger customers (who knew?). But knowing that it's pretty empty is very tempting, as a calm shopping environment is pretty hard to come by.
Also shopping was Nora Loke, 58, who lives in Chinatown with her husband, an accountant, and who moved from Hong Kong 20 years ago. “I like the classic clothes—very American,” she said, indicating a Nine West mannequin. “Saks Fifth Avenue? That’s very expensive. An umbrella is $24. Here it’s very quiet, you feel comfortable. Sometimes my husband comes. He sits in a chair and goes to …. ” She put her head down and mimed sleep.
Do you shop at Lord & Taylor in the city? We used to shop there in the suburbs, but that's because that's the suburbs. Its third store in the city, on Broadway and 20th, is gorgeous. And it was the first department store to move to Fifth Avenue and to name a female president, Dorothy Shaver.
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seriously. it is one of the best department stores in the city. or, as my mother calls it: "macy's without all the crap."
it is 1/8th as crowded, has great sales, HELPFUL and knowledge sales people, clean and organized.
i shop there all the time. i honestly don't know why anyone would go to macy's over this place. plus, if you sign up for their e-mail list you get great coupons all the time.
i will be extremely unhappy should they move or go out of business.
wait so... if the building has any shred of historical importance, it should never ever be turned into condos...but if its a department store that you simply didn't like shopping at, then maybe its not such a bad idea?
You know, I just went shopping at L&T for the first time in ages, and I got a terrific deal on a gorgeous dress on sale, and the saleslady gave me a coupon! I didn't have to wait on line for a dressing room, and the salespeople were actually NICE to me. In fact I even said to the saleslady, "From now on I'll shop here more often." At least until they shut down...
I love Lord & Taylor--it's my first choice in the city for dept store shopping (I'm not in the Barney's tax bracket). It's clean, not crowded, and not full of piles and racks of picked-over sale crap like Macy's. I got a lovely pair of leather gloves there last winter. The staff is helpful and pleasant to deal with--and this is one of the few places in the city where you can get Prescriptives powder custom-blended.
It's the only department store I'll go into here in the city. Friendly, spacious, not mobbed like Macy's or Bloomingdale's. Count me among the Lord & Taylor believers (and among the younger customers).
I started going to Lord & taylor over ten years ago when a friend who works there get's me the employee discount. even without the discount I go there. The coupons are well worth it.
I agree with the above regarding their salespeople. They were helpful and pleasant, don't forget to ask for some free samples of cosmetics.
I've been going to L&T's with my Mom for years. The shoe department always makes me happy--prices are always good, and the stuff is trendy, popular, comfortable without being over the top. Sure there are a few bad areas of the store that really only apply to the 50's+ crowd, but beyond that, you can really find some nice stuff. And if you're on the mailing list, it seems like there is never a time when you don't have some coupon that gives you 20% off the entire store.
Maybe it's just one of those stores that your mom introduces you to and it becomes something of a family tradition. Either way, I'm rarely disapointed when I go. And the fact that it's not overrun with crowds of shoppers is really a breath of fresh air. Oh, and they have nice bathrooms.
i've never had a bad experience at a lord & taylor, and their selection is so great that i've followed l&t from the nyc and westfield, nj stores, to washington d.c., and now to chicago. that's how much i love this chain!
Lord & Taylor's is fantastic. Over the past 3-4 years, they've made a great effort to stock well edited pieces from younger, trendier brands. They're like Macy's in that they always have a great sale (and bonus coupons), but it's never as crowded, loud, chaotic, or unorganized. I've never had to wait in line for a fitting room or had to wade through knee-deep clothing that's fallen off the racks. The sales associates are polite, friendly, and are actually knowledgable about the clothes that they're selling - I mean, how often do find a sales associate in a mid-priced large dept. store suggesting and pulling items for you!? So I guess if shopping in a calm, uncluttered store that offers well-made, stylish clothing AND thoughtful service is only for the elderly - friggin hand me my walker.
Lord & Taylor is also the only place you can get See's Candy in the city!
L&T is THE place for dresses - skip Macy's and all that touristy nonsense, rude sales people and awful confusion (except the bed, bath and kitchen depts). I much prefer to go to L&T as it is a relaxing shopping experience. Even the juniors department has great clothes.
I've shopped here only because it is near my office and I needed some things in a hurry. This is what I imagine department stores are like in the midwest...dull, dull, dull. The place gave me the creeps, and all of the sales people are fighting for the few shoppers that will earn them a commission. I am not a fan of any department store, but this one does not have much to offer New Yorkers...unless you really have a need for golf shirts. Barney's and Saks are for New Yorkers the others are for tourons, or short termers who are looking to meet their husband and move to the 'burbs.
"Barney's and Saks are for New Yorkers the others are for tourons, or short termers who are looking to meet their husband and move to the 'burbs."
As it must state in NY'er's copy of The Real New Yorker Handbook... I guess I did not get a copy.
Psst... real "New Yorkers" never tell others what a Real New Yorker does. Just FYI...people will think you are tacky.
L&T is where people shop who don't want to wade through stupid tourists at Macys or pay out the ass at Bloomingdales or Barneys. I would hardly call it an afterthought, well maybe to tourists and stupid midwest imports.
I've been buying all of my work stuff at L&T for a while now... The coupons are great, though I've found that if they don't log your credit card at the store for a while they stop, until you go back again.
I've found that the salespeople are less forthcoming to "loan" coupons to non-holders these days, but it's still a great store. Uncrowded with good selection and great sales.
"it is 1/8th as crowded, has great sales, HELPFUL and knowledge sales people, clean and organized."
Yes, yes, YES! I love L&T. Not crowded like Macy's and great sales. Yes, it could use some hipping up, but it's the only department store in NYC that I shop in (until they start paying me the Bergdorf's Bucks) and it has designer stuff -- check out the second floor.
"whom?" did I touch a nerve? Keep looking, you'll find your husband then you wont have to live in the big bad city.
Wow, what an awful lot of nonsense. Sorry L & T's is too dull for some of you out there, but not everyone can afford Barney's. Even us young studio apartment dwellers have to truck it to entry level jobs, and generally in work-appropriate apparel - something I'm loathe to wear at any other hour. That said, L & T offers just as non-stimulating and icky an experience as any other department store melee I've ever experienced - at a slice of the cost. But I can pick something up that'll fit right in under all the flourescent lights and pass the boss' muster, too.
I guess "Real New Yorkers" are wealthy, and us poor saps hoofing it to Century 21 are either tourists or permanent fake residents of this fair city.
And don't forget that it is one of the last places that has petites!
NY'er: A Real New Yorker uses spellcheck. See page 27 of your guide.
An "afterthought of a department store"?!?!?!? Are you guys over at gothamist crazy! You have been missing out. Lets be honest here. Macy's is for tourists and so is Bloomies. The deals and sales at the Lord and Taylors are the without a doubt the best. And just because that the Observer observed only folks above the age of 50 shopping there doesn't mean that that article is a realistic survey of L&T's regulars.
I've been declaring my L&T love for years! The dress department is awesome, the shoe sales (and the sales in general) rock, and they have a great selection of costume jewelry (one of the few department stores still carrying old-school Miriam Haskell). If you need cosmetics you can avoid the choas of Sephora and walk out with loads of samples as well. I've strolled through L&T on many a lunch break, enjoying the calm, no-bullshit atmosphere and the friendly but not aggressive salesladies. Most are old enough to know when you really want help, and will leave you alone with your thoughts otherwise.
The only thing that would make it absolutely perfect would be the addition of a linens department.
Add me to the list of Pro-Lord and Taylor shoppers. I go there for the fabulous shoe selection and help, the best party frock selection in the city, and a very nice accessories dept. Most of my favorite gloves have come from Lord and Taylor.
Oh, and I buy my "never-you-minds" exclusively at Lord and Taylor. Anywhere else in our fair city sends me into homicidal rage within 10 minutes.
Alright, so Macys or Bloomingdales were never really my thing, and I definitely can't afford Barney's. If I'm forced into a department store, it's probably going to be L&T.
The commenters here are right. It's always incredibly clean, never overcrowded, and the salespeople show the right amount of enthusiasm (they're willing to help, but definitely not in your face all the time). Sure, it could use a little "hipping-up", but then again, none of the major department stores are exactly "hip" these days. At least L&T has some class.
Although I've got to ask the NY crowd:
Are the Century 21 stores in Brooklyn/Manhattan as weird as the ones in NJ? The one in Morristown is easily one of the most bizarre department stores I've ever set foot into. (Not necessarily eclectic... just a really bizarre selection of clothing, albeit with fairly decent prices....)
well, I'm converted. But I'm guessing so too are the masses who read Gothamist comments.
Lord & Taylor is definitely the place to go and the under-40 set will hear about soon enough - oh no! :0
I went shopping at L&T for the first time this weekend, after seeing their multipage ad in GQ. It was, without a doubt, the best shopping experience I've ever had. I spent four hours in there. DKNY, CK Jeans, Lacoste, Marc Ecko, Lucky Brand, Sixty, 7 Diamonds, Ben Sherman, Puma.. I'm missing a few. Holy crap.
Hopefully they stay around. I was totally psyched.
dang, gothamist commenters. i guess i've found a new store to check out. not that i haven't noticed their ads for ages, i've just never happened to go there.
Wow, L&T has a lot of interns! And, it seems by the comments above, they are all spending their time plugging the store..."under-40 set" gimme a break. L&T is destined to go the way of Gimbles and A&S...anyone miss 'em? Bring on the condos!
who ever heard of an internship at a department store? that is just dumb.
Interns? where da heck you get that from?
It's retail, retail is the trenches.
I love hearing their loss prevention stories. I miss my friend's employee discount.
On top of the employee discount, I got the coupon discount on top of that.
Lord and Taylor sounds a thousand times better than Macy's. FYI. Today is a sad day for department store lovers in Chicago. Marshall Fields, once a classy, quiet, upscale, relaxing, and entirely midwestern shopping experience has been turned into a Macy's. When I grew up in New Jersey I used to avoid Macy's like the plague. In fact I'd never enjoyed shopping at a classic department store until I moved to Chicago. Bergdorf's was too eurotrash, Barney's was too expensive, Macy's was just nasty and crowded. Bloomingdale's was nice, but just a bit intimidating. In Chicago I fell in love. Marshall Fields on State Street really picked out the most fashion forward men's collection every season, and always seemed to know where to draw the line between high fashion and accessible fashion. It was a very special place. Now that State Street has been turned into a Macy's, which everyone knows sells lower quality menswear, I feel like I'm having a flashback to my east coast childhood. Chicagoans are bitter about Marshall Fields. People are quietly boycotting Macy's. If you want a quiet department store experience in Chicago, Saks has a nice men's store on Michigan Avenue. Nordstrom is alright. But nothing will ever replace Marshall Fields. Good luck Macy's. "Way to shop!" or "Way to schlock!"
other than the historical value of the building, they could raze L&T and i would never notice.
but i hate department stores, and i can get everything much cheaper -- and much cooler -- at many other places in the city.
my friend (who is in the cult of L&T) dragged me there to try and convert me -- i had managed to avoid the place for 11 years. most of the offerings were frumpy and expensive for what they were. also, even if i could have found something i liked, the smallest size would've been to big because they seem to specialize in vanity-sized brands.
(At the risk of bringing in more converts) here's another twenty-something who shops at L&T.
And I totally agree with #24: "At least L&T has some class."
in a world where everything increasingly feels the same, Lord & Taylor is a breath of fresh air.
Please pass this on the appropriate person!
I am a designer of men, women and children fashion and comfort footwear. My interest is to exclusively design and make shoes for Lord & Taylor stores. My company name is Dona Dona/dbl int. inc. I will like to meet with the right person in person to present my designs. The children's department needs it. I have many ideas for your company. Please contact me at 718-346-4199 anytime.
Sincerely,
Dona Bain-Lynch
dbl Int. Inc.
Please pass this on the appropriate person!
I am a designer of men, women and children fashion and comfort footwear. My interest is to exclusively design and make shoes for Lord & Taylor stores. My company name is Dona Dona/dbl int. inc. I will like to meet with the right person in person to present my designs. The children's department needs it. I have many ideas for your company. Please contact me at 718-346-4199 anytime.
Sincerely,
Dona Bain-Lynch
dbl Int. Inc.
you can tell that there was one person who is not the sharpest tack in the box when they can not even spell "GIMBELS"