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Macy's is one of the most emblematic American retailers. THE big store Going back to the mid -1800s, and for generations, buyers relied on the name of confidence for everything, clothes and shoes with bedding and dishes. However, according to the initiates, traditional Macy - that many of us know and love - are now "melt". But in reality, it may not be such a bad thing.

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In a Profits Last week, Macy announced its fourth quarter and a full year financial results , with sales in stores decreasing by 5% and digital sales down 7% in 2023. The decrease in the homonymous brand of Macy was particularly visible, because comparable sales dropped by 6% in the fourth quarter. (The company also has Bloomingdale and Bluemercury, where sales were down, but not as much.)

While the figures were a little blatant, in a separate Press release , Macy has announced its "daring new chapter" strategy. According to the new CEO of Macy Tony Spring , the plan is "designed to create a more modern Macy's that should generate significant values for our shareholders in the coming years". It is a question of rationalizing operations; "Modernize the purchasing experience ... with a continuous concentration on digital excellence"; Closing of 150 "sub-productive" Macy stores; And open new Bluemercury and Bloomingdale stores.

Speaking with Yahoo Finance, Spring also stressed that these Changes are needed For Macy's.

"We are not going to leave Macy as is the case today," said Spring at the point of sale. "It is reckless to think that leaving the company as there is today is a recipe for success in the future."

However, the Investment Capital Company Arkhouse (one of the militant shareholders of the department store) was "frustrated" by the board of directors of Macy after having rejected the Arkhouse and the Capital Management Brigade Offer of $ 5.8 billion to ensure that private enterprise. On February 20, companies increased the bet, offering a Offer of $ 6.6 billion .

Looking at Macy as a whole, Arkhouse thinks that more fundamental changes are necessary to maintain the company afloat.

"Gradual changes linked to digital display systems, merchandising or even store closures have been tried before and it is unlikely that you will provide a material value to shareholders," said Arkhouse's general partner Gauge Kahane said to Yahoo News. "They have an eye on marginal improvements. Although they are concentrated there, their business is based." AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

In relation: Macy's closes 150 more stores while buyers abandon the brand .

According to Kahane, the management team and the board of directors of Macy are interested in small improvements rather than more important adjustments. He told Yahoo finances that their goal is "glitter and cherry, as opposed to the bowl of ice cream".

However, spring - which Yahoo Finance Notes has not often commented on unsolicited offers - indicates that current plans will facilitate online and store shopping at Macy. And unlike Sears, the Macy franchise is not "in distress".

"It is a franchise that must be modernized," said Spring.

For their part, Wall Street analysts are somewhat divided on the potential of the department store. Neil Saunders , the Director General of Retail at Globaldata, told Yahoo Finance that "the jury has always been released" on the question of whether Macy's would rebound after the planned changes. Morningstar analyst David Swartz Also told the point of sale that even if Macy's is currently the largest chain of department stores in the United States, there is "a certain concern" concerning the size, income and imprint of the company's stores.

"The closure of 150 stores covers the risk of losing customers who will never come back," said Swartz. "It is therefore not clear if there is really a growth plan in Macy."