In episode 383 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Abigail James, senior vice president of marketing at Macy's. During the wide-ranging conversation James discusses Macy's 2022 holiday season strategy (1:03), the customer behavior trends the department store chain has observed over the past few months (3:30), and how those behaviors will influence its marketing efforts for 2023 (5:50).
Furthermore, James shares how Macy's continues to drive store traffic post-holiday season (8:27), how its Own Your Style platform impacts the customer shopping experience, including how her team is creating consumer awareness and understanding of the platform (11:13). James details how Macy's marketing team collaborated with other departments within the organization for the Own Your Style launch and execution (14:05), and the continual optimization process to evolve the platform (16:50). Lastly, she shares the marketing trends she's closely watching and believes will have the biggest impact on the retail industry in 2023 (18:20).
Abigail D. James is a high-performing and innovative retail executive with over 20 years of proven leadership experience within merchandising, stores, planning and marketing at Macy’s. James is a storyteller and curator of emotionally charged omnichannel campaign messaging, digital, social media, creative development, vendor services, and sales. In her current position, James overseas Macy’s Customer Activation and is responsible for driving innovation, efficiency, and effectiveness in marketing. She leads several teams, including Content Offers, Strategy, Calendar Planning, and Tourism, and is at the helm of the Photo Studio and Marketing Operations which produce creative content both internally and externally with innovation, technology, and creative art. Responsible for both driving the business and driving the culture, James is a trailblazer in the organization that delivers exceptional results and creates new leaders.
James began her career at Macy’s in the Merchant Buying Development Program upon graduation from Cornell University in 1997. Recently, she has received numerous awards, including the Black Women of Influence 2019 Trailblazer Award, Macy’s Make Magic Marketing Awards for Leadership and Special Projects from 2012-2018, the 2010 Femme Award for Best Intimate Apparel business, the Macy’s Divisional Merchandise Manager, and various other distinguished accomplishments.
