Bloomingdale's to open first boutique luxury store, 'Bloomie's'

Department stores are going boutique and Bloomingdale’s is next.

The luxury store chain will open its new smaller concept store, Bloomie’s, in Fairfax, Virginia, on Aug. 26 selling women’s and men’s apparel, beauty products, jewelry and a host of in-person experiences in a smaller space, the company announced. 

The new Bloomie’s, in the Mosaic District shopping mall, will be a smaller-sized retail store at just 22,000 square feet, down from 200,000 square feet of a typical Bloomingdale's storefront. The smaller concept store will also have a local D.C. restaurant serving up cocktails, coffee and Cuban food for shoppers. 

The sized-down version of the retailer comes as department stores recover from revenue losses during the pandemic. Bloomingdale's parent company, Macy’s, had to close down dozens of stores during the pandemic furloughing many and laying off close to 3% of its workforce. Now, with the world reopening, more retailers are catering to interactive experiences to get shoppers in stores. 

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Similarly, Nordstrom opened its retail flagship in 2009 with hands-on shopping experiences like manicures and spa treatments, dining and cocktail services, stylists and digitized "connected fitting rooms" to allow shoppers to request new sizes from tablets. 

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"Bloomie’s has always been a term of affection from our loyal customers. Our new Bloomie’s store will deliver everything they love about Bloomingdale’s in a highly edited, convenient, and unexpected way," Tony Spring, CEO of Bloomingdale’s said in a statement. "We are excited to welcome new and longtime customers to Bloomie’s to be the first to shop this fresh and casual experience."