Company nicknames: All cars transfer to ‘Bloomies’
Posted by: in Marketing and AdvertisingFiled under: Industry, Consumer experience, Marketing and advertising
This post is one in a series on prominent company nicknames. See all 25, and share your thoughts and memories about Bloomies below in the comments.
If Macy’s (NYSE: M) is the crossroads of all department stores, then Bloomingdale’s is the Eastside hub of the cosmopolitan individual. At one time the old slogan, “All automobiles transfer to Bloomingdale’s,” beat Macy’s to the chase as New York City’s 58th Street subway station on the Lexington Avenue line was built in its basement in 1913.
The flagship store is located at 59th and Lex, where the surrounding affluent neighborhood used to supply most of its shoppers, particularly in the early 1970s. Even today, the fashion bonanza exhibited in its store windows draws a crowd while the gleaming black and white art deco interior lures shoppers in the door.
The department store chain has long since spread around the country, but Bloomingdale’s has remained a draw for younger professionals seeking exciting new fashion trends. It’s not surprising that at some point its hip, young clientele started affectionately calling it “Bloomies.”
The chain embraced its nickname officially in 1973 with the launching of a new intimate apparel line that featured panties branded “Bloomies.”
Growing up in the city in the 1980s, my mom and her friends would call Bloomies in advance to ask when their furniture showrooms had changed before heading downtown for ideas. My brother’s girlfriend would go to Bloomies first to learn about fashions before searching for inexpensive alternatives elsewhere.
It wasn’t until I came of shopping age that I learned that Bloomingdale’s was actually the full, official name of the store. But it will always be “Bloomies” to me.
Entries (RSS)