Used to LOVE shopping at Macy's until I noticed the following things:

1. COLORISM: Macy's employs the united nations AT THE CUSTOMER FACING LEVELS. Past the lights, bells and whistles of the shop floor, you will notice the lack of diversity. The higher up corporate you go, the more blue eyes, blonde hair and fairer complexions you will see. Of course there will be the one token person of color, latina etc but Barbie and Ken definitely dominate the higher the elevator goes.

2. A CULTURE OF EXPLOITATION/ Terrible treatment of employees: You visit Macy's long enough or shop with your ears, eyes or 6th sense enough times you will start to notice the massa mentality behind the way Macy's, especially 34th street is run and laid out. There are all these little hidden corridors and alleys for "the help". Seems like the more menial the task, the darker the skintone of the employees assigned to it. Look at who is pushing the goods to be returned. Any Karen's there? Kens? Barbies? NOPE. A white employee on the basement level of 34th Street is like a Big Foot sighting.

You can hear stories of floors (10th floor perhaps?) running like sweat shops with poor air quality, no heat, no ac, no Protective Gear and a history of illness or employee death...What seems like a Health & Safety nightmare; no windows and high exposures to toxins and disgruntled managers assigning this floor to those they dislike or find otherwise ineffective at other duties as a form of punishment.

You will tune into the stories of their workers (not the higher ups) not being given passes to sit to view the infamous parade...(Do you know those "working" the parade are actually volunteers?). You will hear the plights of hours being cut after hire or as reprimand/ retaliation or victimization, PR employment drives/ hiring events when no hours are available for the new hires, and all other shady labor practices that seem to show a culture where those on the floor work the most and are paid and valued the least while they bring in the revenue that shoots up the chain for corporate trips, parties, goody bags, offices and bonuses. Do you know Macy's employees can only get company discounts if they take out a Macy's credit card? Even if they take out a prepaid card, Macy's offers them a line of credit without their approval, which is subject to monthly interest and payments like a regular card. Why not just give an employee an immediate employee discount based on their number or a dated employee card? Why all this talk about discounts on the back end that may or may not be a set % blah blah. It is so convoluted. After these people work so hard to run their stores, why do they receive the worst shopping experience?

3. FLUCTUATING PRICING: I have seen the same item on sale at Macy's at 4 different prices in a month (see pictures). They have a pricing strategy where they set really high original prices (which also fluctuate it seems) & they try to get as many people/ tourists/ elitists/ unaware shoppers etc with these prices then they have a series of "sales" e.g. friends and family, one day sales etc to move stock that can leave you in a position where you have to make multiple trips to Macy's in a week, when, for example, an item you purchased today is half the price tomorrow or there is a promotion where you earn store credit based on your total & asking for a manager at CS?? Good luck!

4. PREYING ON THE OLD: Macy's employees pressure customers to open Macy's credit cards. They capitalize on the old, young and foreigners, by pushing the narrative of saving 20% on their purchase and not equally informing customers of the high interest rates, penalties etc.associated. I have stood in line behind many people frustratingly disputing charges usually between $60- $97 that they never authorized. I think Macy's is running a scam here.

CONCLUSION: MACY'S appears to be a bad employer and a company that lacks transparency. This company seems to be riddled with shady business practices & poor HR & customer service behind the facades of their well lit shop front.