Reaching its 150th birthday in 2008, Macy’s Inc. has emerged as an American household icon over the past few decades. Macy’s sells a range of merchandise, including men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and other consumer goods. Since its merger with Federated Department Stores in 1994 and May Department stores in 1995, Macy’s has been pursuing ways to be more creative and distinctive in meeting customer needs and in delivering exceptional values. In order to maintain its share of the department store market, Macy’s has been aggressively investing in a distinguished shopping experience with unique merchandise, exclusive fashion brands, online sites, and breakthrough marketing. However, the ‘Credit Crunch’ in 2007 and 2008 has led to a tremendous decline in consumer confidence, causing decreases in store sales and profits. Macy’s 2008 fourth quarter earnings showed a profit of $750 million. Demographics, consumer spending, and fashion trends drive demand in the department store industry. Macy’s has always faced tough competition in its geographical areas, including discounters, luxury stores, and mail order retailers. Macy's is distinct from warehouse stores in that it does not sell goods in bulk and operates at a higher price point.…