Surprisingly for such a conventional layout, the front page has no left sidebar. It is counterintuitive in terms of usability but offers the advantage of opening the space up for creative promotional messages. Elegant thumbnail pictures occupy, very effectively, the left and bottom of the screen, e.g., For Him, For Her, For the Home. The flipside of this layout is that, on most browsers, the visitor will have to scroll down to find the actual detailed menus, including features such as Store Locator and My Wish List.

What does Macy's stand for? It is difficult to say, in light of its web presence. Retailers have the challenge of promoting their umbrella brand without overshadowing the Calvin Kleins, Ralph Laurens and other strong brands they market. Here Macy's brand remains blurred and ill defined. Even its good citizenship, a major attribute of its brand, does not appear in any obvious manner on the website.

Color-wise, this website is fine and well aligned with its brand. However, as much as we hate to rain on Macy’s parade, there is more than color and texture to a brand message. Although branding is a challenge for department stores, it is a challenge that is worth raising for our grandchildren to continue enjoying Macy's presence in the community.