Macy

Macy's is an American department store chain founded by Rowland Hussey Macy in 1858 in New York City. It originated as a dry goods store and grew into one of the largest and best-known retailers in the United States, applying the department-store model of wide merchandise assortments, fixed pricing, and elaborate window displays. The flagship store at Herald Square in Manhattan became a landmark and a symbol of the city’s commercial life. The chain is also known for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, a tradition that began in 1924 and has become a national event. Macy’s expanded across the United States during the 20th century, and in the late 20th century it became part of a larger corporate structure through mergers; the parent company later adopted the Macy’s name. Today, Macy’s operates hundreds of stores across the United States and Puerto Rico, with Bloomingdale’s as a sister brand and a network of discount locations under Macy’s Backstage.

Macy is also used as a surname and, more recently, as a given name in the United States. The name is associated with various figures in culture and public life, including Macy Gray, an American singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1990s.