It doesn’t take a genius to understand why people would want to find some other stores like Macy’s.
On the one hand, the retail giant has been a staple of malls and shopping centers for decades thanks to its wide variety of brand name styles and fashions.
On the other hand, recent years have given rise to a whole host of new stores, brands and websites that offer broader selections and more modern styles.
Plus, many of these Macy’s alternatives use a different business model that allows them to offer consumers much better prices.
To help you diversify your department store options, in this post I’ve rounded up dozens of other stores like Macy’s where you can discover new brands, find a wider selection and score a great deal.
More Department Stores Like Macy’s
Nordstrom
Nordstrom is one of the best known department store chains in the United States, and a close competitor of Macy’s stores.
In addition to being a pretty formidable online retailer, they have brick and mortar stores across the country, often found in big shopping centers that get a lot of foot traffic.
They offer a wide selection of women’s and men’s clothing, along with beauty products and home products.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks is named for its flagship store in New York City.
Like Macy’s, it’s a decidedly upscale department store, making it one of the best places to find designer clothing from some of the top designers in the world.
In addition to the latest fashion brands, they also carry a wide selection of (similarly high-end) home décor items.
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus is a good alternative to Macy’s and Nordstrom that carries a wide range of clothes and other high-quality products like jewelry and handbags.
While they do have a home section, they tend to offer smaller home accessories and accent pieces, rather than big-ticket home furnishings like tables or appliances.
Bergdorf Goodman
Owned by Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman is an even more upscale luxury department store that carries the latest styles from some of the most expensive brands in the world.
It’s basically a department store for people who never have to worry about how much money is in their bank accounts (or, for that matter, how much debt is on their credit cards).
Tory Burch
Tory Burch is a luxury fashion brand founded by the eponymous designer that offers a wide range of women’s fashion.
While a single brand obviously doesn’t offer as much variety as you’d find at other major retailers, it’s a great place to turn for some different designs.
Michael Kors
And speaking of eponymous designers, Michael Kors is another popular brand for everything from dresses to handbags, to men’s suits, watches and similar items.
While everything they sell is (obviously) from their own house brand, they offer a pretty wide range of merchandise, making both their stores and website a great alternative to similar sites like Macy’s.
Kate Spade
Founded by its namesake fashion designer, the Kate Spade line started with just a single handbag before expanding to offer everything from wallets and shoes to clothes and even jewelry.
While they specifically focus on women’s fashion, they have a brother brand, Jack Spade, that offers clothes and accessories for men.
Kohl’s
Kohl’s is a one-stop-shop department store for just about everything.
They stock everything from fashion and accessories to sports equipment, toys, electronics and bed/bath supplies, in addition specific fashion departments like plus size and men’s big and tall.
Sears
When it comes to America’s department stores, Sears is a member of the old guard.
But it’s still a great place to find everything from home appliances to men’s and women’s fashion, most of which is available at more reasonable prices than you’ll find at stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom.
Bloomingdales
Another one of the iconic retailers from New York, Bloomingdale’s is very much in the same category as stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom.
It’s another good store to look at for fashion, accessories, and a wide range of home decor (although they don’t have the big-ticket furniture items that you’d find at places like Sears).
Stein Mart
Previously a bricks and mortar department store in the same mould as stores like Macy’s and Dillards, Stein Mart now focuses exclusively on online sales after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020.
While they now focus solely on women’s fashion, their website is still a good place to turn for designer brands and accessories.
New Republic
Online fashion collective New Republic offers classic styles with an updated, modern spin.
The stores goal is to make the same kind of high-quality, luxury merchandise stocked at stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom available to a wider audience, so it’s a good place to turn for great styles that won’t break the bank.
Everlane
Everlane is a brand that specializes in fashion that’s not only stylish and modern, but also ethically made in factories that treat their workers well.
They offer a wide range of affordable styles, including a wide selection of high-quality denim.
YesStyle
Specializing in Asian brands, YesStyle offers international audiences the chance to pick up merchandise from some of the best Asian designers.
It’s a great place to turn for styles and designers you don’t see very often in North America, including everything from clothes and accessories to lifestyle products.
Bed Bath & Beyond
A go-to for home decor and accessories, Bed Bath and Beyond has store locations across the country, and online shopping available through their well stocked website.
While they don’t sell as wide a range of consumer goods, it’s a good Macy’s alternative for just about every type of home merchandise.
Dillard’s
Dillard’s is one of the few major American department store chains that’s not based in New York.
(Their headquarters is actually based in Little Rock, Arkansas, of all places.)
With a focus on style, Dillard’s makes a great Macy’s alternative thanks to its wide range of fashion and accessories for men, women and kids.
Home Depot
Home Depot is best known as a home improvement and construction supply store, which admittedly makes it an odd fit on a list of stores like Macy’s.
But they sell a wide range of home furniture, appliances and even decor (in surprisingly modern styles), so it’s a good option to keep in mind while you’re online shopping.
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Macy’s Backstage
Macy’s Backstage is essentially a clearance center where they can try to sell any merchandise that didn’t move last year by listing it at a lower price point.
If you don’t mind shopping for last year’s styles, it’s a great way to score a good deal on the same brand names and product lines they carry at the flagship store.
Nordstrom Rack
Nordstrom Rack is the Nordstrom equivalent of Macy’s backstage.
As with Backstage, it’s where you can find many of the same high-quality goods that were on the shelves of the flagship store over the course of the past year, now marked down to more affordable prices.
Neiman Marcus Last Call
You probably see a pattern developing here…
Last Call is the Neiman Marcus version of the discount department stores mentioned above.
As with those other stores, it gives you a chance to get some great designs and brands for significantly better prices.
Saks Off Fifth
Saks Off Fifth is where to turn for some incredible deals on the same designer brands and merchandise you would have found in the flagship Saks store last year.
It provides arguably an even better deal than the discount stores mentioned above, since merchandise at the main Saks store tends to have a higher price point, which makes scoring it at a discount feel even better.
Bloomingdale’s Outlet
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:
Not to be outdone by stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s has its own chain of discount department stores.
While the in store experience may not be quite as pleasant as what you’ll find at the flagship store, some people consider it a worthwhile tradeoff considering how many great deals you can find.
Dillards Clearance Center
By this point you know the drill.
You kind of have to admire Dillard’s for foregoing the cute branded nicknames like “Off Fifth” or “Last Call” and just calling this store what it is:
A clearance center.
TJ Maxx
A lot of the discount department stores listed above were created to give the traditional department store giants a chance to compete against low price retailers like TJ Maxx.
And it’s not hard to understand why:
TJX companies, which include TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods, have hundreds of retail outlets across the country, all offering unique finds and low prices on a wide range of general merchandise.
Amazon
With annual sales of more than $460 billion, Amazon is a juggernaut that has the widest selection and best delivery service of just about any retailer in North America.
While the online store is better known for its low-priced merchandise, it also has plenty of the luxury brands you’d find at stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom.
Plus, they offer free shipping (not to mention a pretty solid streaming service) if you have Amazon Prime.
Marshalls
Owned by the same parent company as TJ Maxx, Marshall’s is another example of the type of store that has really chipped away at the business of traditional department stores like Macy’s.
With pretty much the same merchandise as TJ Maxx, they offer a lot of variety both in terms of the brands and types of merchandise they carry.
Walmart
The biggest of the discount department stores, Walmart is well known for its sprawling stores packed with thousands of square feet of merchandise.
(Not to mention some of the best deals on everything from electronics and appliances to groceries and pharmacy supplies.)
While their clothing and accessories aren’t quite as fashionable as Target’s, they’ve been making inroads in recent years, so it’s not a bad place to look for cheap styles.
eBay
As Amazon has risen up to become one of the biggest online retailers in the world, eBay has simultaneously fallen out of favor.
But it’s still a good place to turn for both used and new merchandise, including some from big name designer brands.
It’s an especially good place to turn to score some exclusive deals on gently used clothes from previous seasons, which you can no longer find in stores.
Hautelook
Owned by Nordstrom, Hautelook is another entry in the company’s “off-price” division.
Like Nordstrom Rack, they offer a lot of the same brand names and styles you’ll find at the flagship Nordstrom store, but for even steepr discounts:
In some cases, you can get as much as 70% off the retail price that you’d find at the main Nordstrom store.
Costco
Costco pioneered the model of the wholesale retailer that competes with everything from traditional department stores to grocery stores, pharmacies and even car repair shops.
They buy in bulk and provide a no frills in-store experience, which allows them to offer some incredibly low prices to their members.
Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club is owned by Walmart, and is basically their version of Costco, in that you need to sign up for a membership in order to get access to the store.
And since they have access to Walmart’s supply chain, they have a huge selection of brands and products to choose from.
JC Penney
Another national department store known for lower prices, J.C. Penney offers everything from men’s and women’s fashion to furniture, activewear and electronics.
They’ve also expanded their makeup and beauty offerings by partnering with Sephora, making them a great alternative to Macy’s for things like makeup and fragrances.
Target
The Target corporation made a conscious choice to ensure they compete with Ross Stores and other discount fashion outlets by offering some of the most stylish clothes and home furnishings.
While they don’t have the big brand names (or, in a lot of cases, quite the same quality) as stores like Macy’s and Dillards, their clothes are always stylish and on-point, while their prices are significantly better.
Kmart
One of the original discount department stores, Kmart has lost a lot of ground to other competitors like Walmart and Target stores over the years.
But they’re still a good place to turn for everything from affordable clothes for the whole family to beauty products, electronics and more.
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