¶ … business founded in 1867 by Andrew Saks became Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the world's top luxury department stores, in 1924. Since then, the Saks brand has been associated with top quality fashion and design. It is now owned by Canadian firm Hudson Bay Company, which acquired Saks for the tune of $2.4 billion. While the decision to purchase the Saks department store and also that of competitor Lord & Taylor might have seemed "plucky" to some, the decision reflects current consumer shopping trends in that department stores can be valuable anchors for the brand (Klara, 2014). Online shopping through branded digital stores supplements but does not take the place of traditional browsing in brick-and-mortar establishments.
The world of fashion and merchandising has dramatically changed since Saks Fifth Avenue first set up shop in New York City. Emerging markets throughout the world are paying attention to the luxury sector, and Saks has done its best to make inroads around the world. Saks already has two stores open in Mexico City, as well as stores in wealthy Gulf nations like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates ("Saks Fifth Avenue," n.d.). Its purchase by Hudson's Bay heralds a new era for the iconic department store chain. One of the ways Saks' top leaders are working to boost the brand is by differentiating itself further from its outlet store, Off Fifth. By channeling $1 billion into the flagship Saks stores and increasing the range of elite luxury goods including "$48,000 bags and $1,500 shoes," while ensuring the Off Fifth brands are correspondingly "devamped," (Bryant, 2014). This means that Saks wants to establish itself as a global luxury department store offering top elite brands, positioning itself well.
The current CMO is Mark Briggs, and he and current President Marigay McKee both hailed from Harrods, the mainstay British department store. When asked about Saks' new direction under the Hudson's Bay umbrella,...
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