Here is their press release of their history from their website which really
has some quite interesting information:
On April 17, 1872, Bloomingdale's Great East Side Bazaar opened on
In 1929, Bloomingdale's moved to its present location on
Unparalleled Product
From the beginning, the Bloomingdale's brothers sought to present new products first; and when they weren't first with an idea, they simply did it bigger and better than anyone else. They also catered to
In 1971 Bloomingdale's "model rooms," a highlight of the store since 1947, gained worldwide attention through its newest installation. "The Cave," an intricate multi-level frame sprayed entirely in white polyurethane, was a spectacular example of the lengths to which Bloomingdale's would go to make a statement of style. Over the years, the model rooms have been showcases for the talents of everyone from architect Frank Gehry to filmmaker Federico Fellini.
The direction in merchandising was both to seek and to create. Buyers covered the globe to find exclusive, one-of-a-kind items. When they couldn't find what they wanted, they had it made. In fashion, Bloomingdale's launched new designers and created boutiques for already-famous names. Among the discoveries: Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabanna, Norma Kamali, John Galliano, Sonia Rykiel and Kenzo. Designers opening their first in-store boutiques at Bloomingdale's include Calvin Klein, DKNY and Yves St. Laurent. Bloomingdale's ability to spot new talent first is legendary and the store has played a pivotal role in the development of important young designers from Marc Jacobs to Zac Posen.
Brand Bloomie's
During the 1970's, Bloomingdale's was a favorite stop of the international avant-garde, epitomized locally by the "Young East Sider" who lived right in the neighborhood. In 1973, when the store decided to stamp its name on panties to launch an intimate apparel promotion, they chose the company nickname as a nod to the young, trendy crowd, and the "Bloomie's" logo was born. Soon, New Yorkers were affectionately referring to the city's second most popular tourist attraction (after the Statue of Liberty) as "Bloomie's" and the hottest souvenir in town was anything emblazoned Bloomie's.
Bloomingdale's promotions were so exciting that the term "Retailing as Theater" was coined to describe the "happenings" at the store. Bloomingdale's was depicted in dozens of the iconic cartoons appearing in The New Yorker magazine, and played a staring role in many motion pictures. It was the era of pet rocks and glacial ice cubes, of visits by movie stars and royalty, from Elizabeth Taylor to Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty's visit, on May 5, 1976, was the culmination of a three-decade transformation of the store?s image that created a cultural phenomenon all its own.
The Ultimate Shopping Bag
In 1922, years before there were such things as shopping bags, Bloomingdale's printed an anniversary message to thank its customers on the face of its small brown paper bags. It was far from great art, but it was the store?s first recognition that the bags in which its merchandise was carried could be used to make a statement about the store itself.
The shopping bags we use today, expansive paper sacks with strong twisted handles, weren't manufactured until the mid-50's. In 1961, Bloomingdale's found reason to tinker with its bag again and by doing so made retail history in yet another area. Artist Joseph Kinigstein was commissioned to create a bag for the "Esprit de France" promotion. Rather than doing the obvious - ladylike flowers in pastel colors - he reproduced antique French tarot cards in bold red, black and white. Most daring of all, the bag omitted the store name. Even so, it was unmistakably Bloomingdale's, and the collector's shopping bag was launched. Since then, Bloomingdale's bags have been created by both famous and fledgling artists, architects, photographers, graphic and fashion designers; and the various bag designs have been featured in art museums all over the world.
The most famous bag of all, Bloomingdale's iconic Big Brown Bag, first hit the streets in 1973. It was designed when the linen department requested a really big bag to accommodate the increasingly larger and more luxurious pillows and blankets that were becoming popular. The little brown bag, for cosmetics and accessories, followed naturally a year later.
Bloomingdale's ventured outside
Today, Bloomingdale's is
From humble beginnings more than a century ago, Bloomingdale's has grown with, and ahead of the times, justifiably earning its reference "Like No Other Store in the World."
Bloomingdale's is
*Disclaimer: There has been no
monetary compensation for posting this content. Brands mentioned are not
affiliates or sponsors of this blog post. The opinions expressed are completely
my own based on my experiences.
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