Goodbye, Liberty House — hello, Macy's

Advertiser Staff

This morning, the transformation of Liberty House into Macy's becomes final, marking the end of what had been the state's oldest and largest retailer and the beginning of new changes in Hawai'i retail.

When you arrive today at Pearlridge or any other mall where Liberty House has had a longtime presence, the signs will clearly indicate that it's a Macy's act now. Advertiser library photo • June 2001

The shift, which coincides with the traditional first day of the holiday shopping season, will be marked at the company's flagship store at Ala Moana Center at 6:30 a.m. with a traditional Ha-

waiian blessing, a performance by the Halau Hula Olana and remarks by executives and officials including Macy's West Chairman Jeremiah Sullivan, who from 1973 to 1979 worked for a Liberty House division in California.

In June, Federated agreed to buy all of the kama'aina retailer's 19 stores and convert all but one to Macy's. The acquisition included all of Liberty House's 11 department stores, seven resort and specialty stores in Hawai'i, and one department store in Guam.

Since then, the Macy's West division of Federated has slowly absorbed the 152-year-old local company, renovating some locations, ordering new merchandise and converting systems. The company said it has brought in $10 million in new merchandise to the Ala Moana store, and has spent $15 million upgrading computer, phone and communication systems.

Federated now becomes the first owner of Liberty House to be solely focused on retail since 1918 when retailer B.F. Ehlers sold the company to American Factors Ltd.

"It was extremely important to use to make a proper investment in these stores despite the economic downturn," Sullivan said. "Macy's is committed to Hawai'i and the Pacific and believes in building on the long retailing history of the Liberty House name."

Macy's doors will open at all Hawai'i stores at 7 a.m. The Waikiki store will open at 10 a.m.