“Give the Lady What She Wants.”–Marshall Field Gail Heriot

I paid what may turn out to be my last respects to Marshall Field’s on Saturday.  As I wrote a few months back, Federated Department Stores, which owns Marshall Field’s, plans to turn the Grand Lady of State Street into just another Macy’s later this year.  Well over 57,000 people have signed an on-line petition against the move, but Federated has not yet relented.

I had lunch in the Walnut Room.  Historians of business and commerce will tell you that among the many “firsts”  by Marshall Field’s was the concept of the department store tea room.  In the 19th century, ladies shopping downtown returned home for lunch; having lunch at a downtown restaurant unescorted by a gentleman was considered … well … unlady-like.  But after a Marshall Field’s clerk shared her lunch with a tired shopper (a chicken pot pie), Field’s hit on the idea of opening a department store tea room, so that women shoppers would not feel the need to make two trips to complete their shopping.  To this day, the Walnut Room serves the traditional Mrs. Herring’s chicken pot pie.   (Naturally, I ordered it.  It was surprisingly good.)

That is just one among many innovations by Marshall Field’s.  Field’s had the first European buying office and the first bridal registry.  It was the first store to offer revolving credit.  Marshall Field’s book department was legendary; it pioneered the concept of the “book signing.”  But most important, Field’s was a glamourous department store.  It had something for everyone–all of it good quality, some of it truly extraordinary.

I got a bit misty-eyed while there on Saturday.  It seems to me that no store in the world has more good will than Marshall Field’s.  It is an important part of Chicago and of retailing history. I hate to see it all disappear.

Marshall Field’s was famous for his slogan “Give the lady what she wants.”  Well, this lady wants the management at Macy’s to leave the Marshall Field’s name alone.