Editor’s Note: Going Local

Consider Macy's, which earlier this spring announced first quarter earnings well ahead of what it originally expected. While the improving economic climate had something to do with that, Terry J. Lundgren — Macy's chairman, president and chief executive officer — gave a public shout-out to its My Macy's localization program as a reason for its success. The national, customer-centric localization program is designed to accelerate sales growth in existing locations by ensuring that core customers surrounding each Macy's store find merchandise assortments, size ranges, marketing programs and shopping experiences tailored to their needs. (For more on Macy's, check out the Prospecting page in the IndustryEye section on pg. 10.)