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Bloomingdale's tries creative way to lure shoppers back. By Fernanda Tronco TheStreet Updated September 26, 2026 9:28 AM Gift Article Store closures have become increasingly common among retailers as they shrink their footprints to adapt to changing consumer habits and rising costs. Coresight Research projects that 7,900 stores will close in 2026, while 5,500 stores will open, resulting in an estimated net loss of 2,400 stores among chain retailers. Founded in 1861 in New York City, Bloomingdale's is an upscale American department store chain known for its designer labels, luxury goods, and signature "Little Brown Bag" shopping bags. Owned by Macy's, Inc. (M), Bloomingdale's has maintained a fairly stable footprint compared to many retailers, The Wall Street Journal reported. Still, the luxury department-store chain knows the importance of giving consumers ongoing reasons to visit in person. Now, Bloomingdale's is joining a major retail trend by transforming its stores to create new shopping experiences. Bloomingdale's creates immersive experiences to bring customers to stores. Bloomingdale's has partnered with The Ritz-Carlton to transform its New York City 59th Street flagship into Hotel Bloomingdale's, an immersive in-store shopping experience running through Oct. 19, 2026. Hotel Bloomingdale's combines The Ritz-Carlton's hospitality with Bloomingdale's fashion, beauty, wellness, home, and travel brands to encourage product discovery. As part of the launch, Bloomingdale's is unveiling Late Checkout: A Ritz-Carlton Story, featuring a curated assortment of more than 55 brands, including 14 that are new to Bloomingdale's. The assortment is organized into five hotel-inspired destinations: Travel, The Spa, Room Service, Souvenirs, and Newsstand. The experience also includes dedicated windows, pop-ups, activations, and an exclusive 26-piece AQUA x Nicky Hilton collection for women and kids. The immersive experiences showcase some of Bloomingdale's most popular brands and include: * Studio 59: A Ritz-Carlton-inspired hotel bar with destination-inspired cocktails influenced by iconic Ritz-Carlton properties. * La Prairie Spa: A limited-time spa residence and retail experience by La Prairie. * Nespresso Coffee Bar: A luxury hotel lobby café offering premium coffee beverages by Nespresso. * Abbode Customization: Complimentary embroidery for Abbode purchases. For customers unable to visit the Bloomingdale's 59th Street flagship, the retailer will also bring the KILIAN PARIS Bar experience to select stores. The art deco-inspired hotel lounge experience will offer specialty cocktails, mixology classes, immersive fragrance consultations, custom bottle engraving, and complimentary fragrance samples. "We're giving customers new ways to discover, explore, and experience Bloomingdale's through unexpected moments, meaningful interactions, and a dynamic mix of fashion, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle," said Bloomingdale's VP Integrated Marketing Kevin Harter in a company announcement. Retailers host unique experiences to encourage in-store shopping. Bloomingdale's is not the only retailer transforming its stores and creating experiences designed to encourage customers to shop in person. Its parent company, Macy's, has used experiential events as part of its retail strategy for decades. The company hosts major annual events, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Santaland at Macy's Herald Square, Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks, and Macy's Flower Show. In 2025, JCPenney debuted the first-ever official iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 29-piece apparel collection in partnership with iHeartRadio's long-running holiday concert series. Target has also experimented with more experiential elements in its stores, including seasonally themed displays and decorations, seasonal products and collections, and promotional content across its social media channels. These examples reflect a broader effort among retailers to give shoppers new reasons to visit physical locations. Why retailers are investing in immersive experiences. Retailers' investment in immersive experiences comes as physical stores increasingly function as marketing platforms and experiential destinations alongside their traditional role as places to shop. Experiential retail is a strategy retailers are using to give consumers unique and memorable reasons to visit physical stores that complement what they can experience online. This is one reason brands continue to invest in flagship stores, which are typically larger than standard locations and may feature distinct architecture and design, exclusive merchandise, events, and hospitality experiences. Fernando Aguileta de la Garza, a communications, branding, and fashion culture expert with Elle Education Business, said flagship stores can enhance a brand's image while creating opportunities for direct communication with consumers. "An effective flagship store attracts new customers and keeps the current loyal ones hooked to the brand. The aim of a flagship store is to stimulate the emotional sensations and physical attributes that the brand possesses and showcase them to the customer." Despite ongoing store closures, brick-and-mortar retail remains a significant part of consumer spending. Physical retail accounted for approximately $14.4 trillion of the $18.9 trillion in total retail sales in 2025, according to Euromonitor research cited by EY. That helps explain why retailers such as Bloomingdale's are experimenting with ways to make physical stores destinations rather than simply places to complete a transaction. By combining shopping with hospitality, events, services, and other experiences, retailers are seeking new ways to make the in-store experience more distinctive for consumers. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc. This story was originally published September 26, 2026 at 9:17 AM.

The Ritz-Carlton checks into Bloomingdale's this fall. What happens when one of the world's best-known luxury hotel brands checks into one of New York's most iconic department stores? For six weeks this fall, shoppers can find out at Hotel Bloomingdale's, a new collaboration between The Ritz-Carlton and Bloomingdale's. Running September 10 through October 19 at Bloomingdale's 59th Street flagship, the immersive experience translates the world of The Ritz-Carlton into a retail setting, with fashion, beauty, wellness, travel, dining and lifestyle offerings arranged around the rituals of a luxury hotel stay. Rather than simply putting a Ritz-Carlton logo on a collection of merchandise, the collaboration creates an entire hotel-inspired destination inside the store. Check In to the Ritz-Carlton Experience At the center of Hotel Bloomingdale's is a retail carousel organized into five destinations: Travel, The Spa, Room Service, Souvenirs and The Newsstand. Together, the spaces feature more than 55 brands, including 14 making their Bloomingdale's debut. Hospitality names including Diptyque and Frette join the mix, along with La Prairie, Assouline and Gohar World. The concept plays on the pleasures associated with a great hotel stay. Travel focuses on the pieces that make a journey more enjoyable, while The Spa brings beauty and wellness into the experience. Room Service and Souvenirs extend the hotel theme into food, home and lifestyle, and The Newsstand adds the leisurely browsing associated with picking up a magazine or book before heading upstairs. The result is part shopping destination, part travel fantasy and part very stylish hotel lobby. Late Checkout: A Ritz-Carlton Story One of the more intriguing pieces of the collaboration is Late Checkout: A Ritz-Carlton Story, a collectible fashion and lifestyle capsule inspired by the idea of taking a little piece of a memorable hotel stay home. The collection has an added distinction: Hotel Bloomingdale's marks the first time Late Checkout: A Ritz-Carlton Story has been available through a retail partner. For travelers and Ritz-Carlton devotees, it provides another way to engage with the brand outside its hotels and resorts, while fitting naturally into Bloomingdale's fashion and lifestyle environment. Studio 59 Gets a Hotel Bar A shopping excursion calls for a drink, and Hotel Bloomingdale's has that covered. Bloomingdale's Studio 59 has been transformed into a Ritz-Carlton-inspired hotel bar, with cocktails drawing inspiration from destinations across The Ritz-Carlton portfolio. The menu includes Ladies and Gentlemen, inspired by Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts; Blue Skies, representing The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection; and Reserved for the Rare, inspired by Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Other cocktails take their cues from individual destinations, including Savannah View, inspired by The Ritz-Carlton Emirates, and Wolgan Valley. It is a clever extension of the hotel concept: instead of merely shopping for a travel-inspired wardrobe or souvenir, visitors can experience the destinations through the bar menu. The Spa Comes to Bloomingdale's The wellness component arrives courtesy of La Prairie, which is operating a limited-time spa residence within the flagship. The La Prairie experience brings the Swiss skincare brand's highly ritualized approach to beauty into Hotel Bloomingdale's, complementing a larger selection of beauty and wellness products throughout the retail experience. For Bloomingdale's shoppers, it also provides a chance to sample the restorative side of the hotel experience without actually checking into a hotel. The Details Make the Difference Personalization is another important part of the collaboration. Complimentary Abbode embroidery allows shoppers to personalize select purchases, turning a retail acquisition into something more closely resembling a hotel keepsake. That detail is particularly fitting for The Ritz-Carlton, whose hospitality has long centered on individualized service and attention to guests. Hotel Bloomingdale's essentially translates that philosophy into shopping: the discovery of something special, the pleasure of a thoughtful detail and the opportunity to leave with a souvenir that feels personal. For New Yorkers and visitors who happen to be in Manhattan this fall, the fun activation brings together two distinctly recognizable luxury brands while giving shoppers a reason to explore Bloomingdale's 59th Street flagship through an entirely different lens. Hotel Bloomingdale's runs September 10 through October 19, 2026, at Bloomingdale's 59th Street flagship in New York City.