Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
San Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tom Abate, Chronicle Staff Writer, tabate@sfchronicle.com
"Our commitment to the communities where we do business remains strong," said Macy's spokesman Jim Sluzewski, who cited the 26-year- old Passport fashion show as one of the notable local events that would continue.
At the same time, the reduction in staff at the local headquarters is likely to result in fewer ad hoc projects carried out by Macy's West employees who had in the past volunteered at food banks and animal shelters and sponsored numerous smaller philanthropies, local civic officials say.
Earlier this month the retail giant said it would close its 1,400-person Macy's West division, cut 4 percent of its workforce nationwide and create a more decentralized organization to manage its stores.
When the changes are complete in May, the headquarters staff in San Francisco will shrink to about 125 people, including a 20-person public relations and special events office that will continue high-profile benefits including the spring flower show and the holiday tree lighting, Sluzewski said.
The Passport fashion show, which Sluzewski said has raised more than $30 million over the years, achieved a first last fall when NBC televised a segment of the event at which celebrities including Jerry Springer walked down a model's runway at Fort Mason in San Francisco.
Sluzewski said Macy's already has set the dates of April 3-18 for its 63-year-old Flower Show, when its Union Square store in San Francisco will be decorated with blooms that will be sold at the end of the event.
Macy's also will continue to sponsor the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Union Square.
Sluzewski said the promotional staff in San Francisco will manage what the retailer calls "cause marketing" campaigns in conjunction with groups like the American Heart Association and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
But the Bay Area is likely to feel the loss of the many smaller and less-heralded events carried on by Macy's West staffers, who had adopted a number of local charities over the years, including the San Francisco Food Bank.
"We are very, very concerned," said Marguerite Nowak, spokeswoman for the Food Bank, which last year benefited from more than $322,000 in cash and 1,600 hours in volunteer time donated by Macy's West staff.
"The fact that they look at themselves as a member of the neighborhood was very beneficial to us, and now there will be so many fewer of them," Nowak said.
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