Macy’s

After an hour long fiasco at the Barton Creek Macys, all I wanted to do was not-​be-​in-​the-​mall-​anymore.
It took me a total of 10 minutes to exchange some broken Fiestaware I ordered online. The staff was extremely friendly and I was even informed of the current One Day Sale which ended up oddly saving me money on my exchange. I know I’ll probably be using my store credit here when I do use it.
I felt acknowledged by the employees. The store was clean– and I disagree about the mildew smell. I think it just smelled like a mall normally does.
Also, if you’re looking for a not-​crowded shopping spot, this is where you need to be. It is 3 days before Christmas and there was hardly anyone here– whereas Barton Creek was overrun with ants– er, people. Definitely the store for people who don’t want to go to the mall, but need to for whatever reason.

Remember that made-​for-​TV-​movie The Langoliers, which was based on the Stephen King novel of the same name?
The main characters wander an airport for hours waiting for the time/​space continuum to realign or something, and while they wait for this to happen, they are in an entirely empty airport — time has stood still. No patrons, no security guards, nobody manning the booths, nada. All of the other nouns in the Langoliers airport are as they should be, but there just aren’t any people anywhere. It’s creepy and surreal.
This Macy’s is like that.
Great selection! Clean fitting rooms! No lines anywhere! Helpful staff! It’s like your own personal Macy’s.
And that’s a little creepy.

There are 3 Macy’s in Austin, and unfortunately they’re all different from each other. The Macy’s in Highland Mall has the best selection — especially when it comes to mens apparel, however, it’s in definite need of an interior overhaul compared to the other department stores.
Also — for some reason, this Macy’s graces your nose w/​the scent of mold once you walk in from outside. You know, the smell of old, damp carpets that may have been cleaned but have never dried completely and ends up leaving that old, musty odor. It hits me immediately when I walk in and it kinda reminds me of an old, dilapidated and outdated Sears or JC Penny’s back in the 90’s when it was last renovated in the 70’s.
I recently went there on a shopping binge and got great, friendly customer service in the men’s dept (Jessica was her name). Other than that don’t expect the same professional top notch salesmanship across the board, although I have never had a bad experience here — — sometimes they’re just unattentive or not around. Some of the staff works hourly, however, the suits and shoes personnel work on commission, so they can be a bit more aggressive.
I’ll deal w/​the lack of attention and ass kissing, as well as the musty carpet odor since the selection and variety here is much better. For men — keep an eye out for their annual suit sale (twice a year) where you can get up to 60% off + an additional 20%+ (w/​coupon) off of every tailored mens product available (spring and fall time frames). They’ll even offer to call you when the time comes so you don’t forget.