Macy's, founded by Rowland Hussey Macy, has a long and varied history dating back to humble beginnings as a small dry goods chain with four locations opened up between 1843 and 1855. R.H. Macy's original stores all failed, but the tides began to change in 1858 after Macy moved to New York and founded "R.H. Macy & Co.," a more up-scale version of his original concept. In the span of about two decades, Macy's business grew significantly and took over eleven buildings on his block. In the 1900s, R.H. Macy and Co. saw even more significant growth. Beginning in 1902, the company moved to its present-day Herald Square flagship location, taking over the mantra of the "World's Largest Store" in 1924. In 1922, after going public, R.H. Macy & Co. began its march across the country by taking over competitors in Toledo, Atlanta, and Newark, and by 1945, the company had reached the West Coast. …show more content…
By 2005, Macy's had 425 locations, and after another acquisition, the company operates about 700 stores across the country. Over time, the company has had several direct competitors, but in modern times faces most of its competition from fellow mall-based department stores like JCPenney, Dillard's, and Sears, as well as retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Ross. Macy's has also begun to experience peripheral competition from a wide variety of retailers, ranging from Amazon to