am of store rationalisation. As much as this is painful to total sales growth, Macy’s has retained some of the sales as loyal shoppers have transferred their custom to other stores. This impact was not present in the first quarter as Macy’s was in the midst of closing down stores, but is now coming through more strongly. This is encouraging as it indicates that Macy’s rationalisation will ultimately deliver higher levels of store productivity without severe damage to volumes. Positively, the ebbing sales tide has also slowed at a time when some of Macy’s long talked about strategic initiatives are finally coming into play. This suggests that the company may now be getting its act together in improving the quality of the in-store experience. We are hopeful that this energy and drive is a function of the new leadership of Jeff Gennette, although we recognise that it is still far too early in his tenure to pass fair judgment. The revamped women’s shoes offer is an example of an initiative which is helping Macy’s regain some momentum. Here, the company has advanced the proposition and moved to an open-sell self-serve model.  After a successful pilot, which resulted in double digit sales growth, the strategy is now in more stores and will be rolled out to all shops by the end of August. Jewellery is another area of progress, albeit one that has been in play for quite some time. The edited assortment, improved training, and higher staffing levels have all helped to provide momentum to the category and have increased sales. As this has been successful, GlobalData has previously lamented the fact that Macy’s has not rolled out the initiative faster; however, it is pleasing to see there is now a concerted effort to get it into all stores by the end of summer. As much as these steps are positive, they are but small drops of success in a vast ocean of challenges. Alone, they will not transform the business, and they do not put Macy’s on a growth footing. For that to happen a more radical and fundamental rethink of other categories – including the problem child that is apparel – needs to happen. On this front, some good thoughts are coming from Jeff Gennette. He has recognised that stores carry too much assortment, that ranges are not adequately curated and coordinated, that inspiration is lacking, and that Macy’s is not a place for ideas and the exploration of exciting products. These are all issues that need to be remedied if Macy’s is to get back on a path to growth. As might be noted, the list of things to do is long. It cannot be delivered overnight. As such, more short-term pressure lies ahead for Macy’s, albeit not on the highly negative scale of the first quarter. There is now a real chance of a turnaround, but it has to be actively worked for. Neil Saunders is MD of GlobalData.