NEW YORK, NY (July 9, 2019) ? STORY at Macy’s, the always changing “store to explore” within 36 Macy’s locations nationwide, including Macy’s Houston Galleria and Macy’s Memorial City in Houston, unveils its second experiential concept: Outdoor STORY. A collaboration with DICK’S Sporting Goods and Miracle-Gro®, this adventure filled story opens today and runs until September, offering Macy’s customers an outdoor-inspired playground that places an editorial focus on entertaining, bringing the outside indoors, as well as recreational activities. STORY at Macy’s explores the theme through a mix of curated merchandise from more than 70 brands, dynamic store design, and community-focused event programming which range from indoor gardening workshops to outdoor activities such as kayaking on the Hudson River.

To bring some outdoor experts to the table, STORY at Macy’s teamed up with DICK’S and Miracle-Gro. What better way to bring the outdoors to life than through inspired, exclusive merchandise that calls you to get outside and then to bring the splendor of nature to your indoor spaces through a range of plants, indoor gardens and curated products.

Outdoor STORY marks a set of firsts for Macy’s, as the national department store partners with the nation’s largest sporting goods retailer, DICK’S, and the category leader in gardening, Miracle-Gro to bring the theme to life. “When Rachel Shechtman founder of STORY came to me with the concept I paused, because I wouldn’t have thought about partnering with another retailer to sell outdoor products at Macy’s. However, as she presented her ideas and the merchandise her team was envisioning it made a lot of sense. I reached out to Ed Stack, chairman & CEO of DICK’S, knowing that this would be a first for them as well ? to share their exclusive private brand assortment in another major retailer ? but he also saw the creative vision and we had the deal done and partnership launched in less than two months,” shared Jeff Gennette, chairman and CEO of Macy’s, Inc.

Outdoor STORY will further support the Macy’s brand experience team’s ‘test and learn’ approach via a variety of cross-merchandising strategies and event programming that showcases the community of each brand. “I think people may be surprised and intrigued by our partnerships, and that is exactly what we wanted. We want to show both consumers, as well as businesses, that collaboration is the new competition; bringing together brands as storytellers to add authority and authenticity to a subject matter, like we are doing with DICK’S and Miracle-Gro, benefits both the customer and the business,” commented Rachel Shechtman, Macy’s brand experience officer and founder of STORY. As the retail industry continues to evolve, Shechtman noted that, “The timing felt right to lean on each brand’s respective strengths to empower new modes of collaboration and learning.”

DICK’S Sporting Goods

STORY at Macy’s signature, collaborative DNA is further expressed through the first-of-its-kind partnership for Macy’s and DICK’S. The sporting goods retailer will come to life inside STORY through a highly curated mix of apparel and hard goods from DICK’S own private brands, Alpine Design and Field & Stream, making this their first debut at another major retailer. “We see this retail collaboration between Macy’s, Miracle-Gro and DICK’S as a way to showcase how three very different American-made companies can come together to create a unique shopping experience for all customers. We wish to thank the entire STORY team for thinking of DICK’S first when seeking an outdoor partner for this summer outdoor collaboration,” said Stack.

Miracle-Gro

Outdoor STORY brings nature indoors with a range of products and events that leverage the power and expertise of Miracle-Gro. All 36 STORY at Macy’s locations will feature the newly launched Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System, an easy-to-use, hydroponic unit specifically designed to blend seamlessly with existing home décor while growing a wide variety of foods like lettuce, kale, basil and mint indoors. Harvesting your favorite fresh veggies and herbs year-round has never been easier! The Miracle-Gro® Twelve™ Indoor Growing System will be sold in-store and online at www.Macys.com/outdoorstory.

In addition to furniture that grows, STORY at Macy’s shoppers will be able to purchase a range of live plants to highlight favorite spots in their home and living spaces. Outdoor STORY will serve as an experiential teaser campaign for Greendigs, a new online brand with a mission to make the spaces in your life better with plants. Backed by the power of ScottsMiracle-Gro® and a designer’s eye, Greendigs is about inspiring people to find, care for, and grow plants in and around their homes. This Macy’s curated selection of plants, planters, and other plant care items was designed to make growing and caring for plants simple. Greendigs will officially debut in the fall, following its STORY at Macy’s test run. “We are always innovating at ScottsMiracle-Gro with new products like Miracle-Gro Twelve and new ways to reach new consumers like STORY at Macy’s. Plant care is our business, creating real world and digital opportunities to inform consumers about how to care for the plants in their lives is what we do. Bringing the outside in with Outdoor STORY is a brilliant approach to introduce our new solutions like Miracle-Gro Twelve and new brands like Greendigs to consumers,” said Patti Ziegler, chief Digital and Marketing Services Officer, ScottsMiracle-Gro.

DICK’S Sporting Goods and Miracle-Gro were attracted to the opportunity to bring their respective brands to life in a highly-shareable setting, a defining feature of STORY at Macy’s, as recently evidenced by its launch concept, Color STORY. David Stark Design once again brings an ambitious creative vision to the spaces, taking customers on an outdoor adventure through lush greenery, playful landscapes, and endlessly Instagram friendly moments, including kidpreneur Mikaila Ulmer’s Me & the Bees™ lemonade stand at Herald Square. After the success of its popular spectrum installation in Color STORY, Current by GE will be back for Outdoor STORY. For this theme, Current by GE’s Tetra contour lighting will highlight ‘greenhouses’ on the main floor of Herald Square, guiding customers through a fauna circus on the mezzanine.

At all locations nationwide, STORY will host a range of dynamic indoor and outdoor activities.

EVENTS

Over the span of two months, STORY at Macy’s will program more than 250 events taking place at 36 locations nationwide. The events will spotlight local experts, while bringing the values of DICK’S Sporting Goods and Miracle-Gro to life through hands on workshops and outdoor activities. Highlights include herb garden planting, planter customization workshops, terrarium making classes, tie-dye t-shirt making tutorials, cornhole tournaments and barbecue cooking classes that will feature a make your own custom BBQ sauce station.

Below are some of the community event highlights:

Saturday July 13, 12 to 5 p.m.

Pick Up Games with DICK’S Sporting Goods. Press play and join us for a festival of summer games with the ultimate cornhole tournament. We're bringing the outdoors in and playing this backyard favorite to give you a chance to compete for fun prizes.

Wednesday, July 24, 6:30 p.m.

Floral Pressing + Journal Making Workshop with Miracle-Gro. Creativity is in bloom! Learn to use nature as a means of self-expression and to press flowers like a pro. Each guest will start a journal at this workshop and will be able to continue the lesson as they add their own flowers in the future.

Wednesday, July 31, 6:30 p.m.

Herb Garden Planting + Customization Workshop with Miracle-Gro. Roll up your sleeves and create your own customized mini herb garden at this hands-on workshop. Choose your edible herbs, decorate your pots using paint, tape, and chalk, and take home your very own mini garden.

Wednesday, August 7, 6:30 p.m.

Bottle Service BBQ Sauce Making. Join us to turn up the heat and discover how to combine ingredients to create your very own BBQ sauce. We'll be experimenting with flavor profiles, spices, and bases to create the ultimate summer sauce at this hands on cooking workshop.

Wednesday, August 14, 6:30 p.m.

Terrarium Building Bar with Miracle-Gro. Bring the desert vibes indoors! Create a customized terrarium at our build your own terrarium bar and choose from an assortment of mini cacti and succulents and learn everything you need to know to keep your plants healthy and happy.

Saturday, August 17, 3 p.m.

Up Up and Away: Kite Customization. Join us for this hands on customization workshop and add your personal touches to ensure your kite stands out in the sky.

Saturday, August 24, 3 p.m.

DIY Days: Plant and Flower Tie-dye Workshop. Draw color from the earth and tie-dye basics using natural dyes and flower petals. Craft your own one-of-a kind tie-dye wonder using beets, turmeric, and indigo. Plus, add unique patterns by folding colorful petals into the mix.

For more information on STORY at Macy’s locations and for a listing of events by store, please visit macys.com/STORY.

Outdoor STORY launches today at all STORY at Macy’s locations:

● Macy’s South Coast Plaza ? Costa Mesa, CA

● Macy’s Newport Fashion Island ? Newport Beach, CA

● Macy’s Stoneridge ? Pleasanton, CA

● Macy’s Union Square ? San Francisco, CA

● Macy’s Westfield Valley Fair ? Santa Clara, CA

● Macy’s Boca Raton Town Center ? Boca Raton, FL

● Macy’s Dadeland ? Miami, FL

● Macy’s Orlando Millenia ? Orlando, FL

● Macy’s Lenox Square- Atlanta, GA

● Macy’s Perimeter ? Atlanta, GA

● Macy’s State Street ? Chicago, IL

● Macy’s Woodfield ? Schaumburg, IL

● Macy’s Castleton Square ? Indianapolis, IN

● Macy’s Fayette ? Lexington, KY

● Macy’s Ridgedale ? Minnetonka, MN

● Macy’s Las Vegas Fashion Show ? Las Vegas, NV

● Macy’s Bridgewater ? Bridgewater Township, NJ

● Macy’s Freehold ? Freehold Township, NJ

● Macy’s Short Hills ? Short Hills, NJ

● Macy’s Willowbrook ? Wayne, NJ

● Macy’s Brooklyn ? Brooklyn, NY

● Macy’s Roosevelt Field ? Long Island, NY

● Macy’s Herald Square ? New York, NY

● Macy’s Queens Center ? Queens, NY

● Macy’s Cross County ? Yonkers, NY

● Macy’s Kenwood Town Centre ? Cincinnati, OH

● Macy’s Easton ? Columbus, OH

● Macy’s Polaris ? Columbus, OH

● Macy’s Center City ? Philadelphia, PA

● Macy’s Ross Park ? Pittsburgh, PA

● Macy’s Northpark Center ? Dallas, TX

● Macy’s Houston Galleria ? Houston, TX

● Macy’s Memorial City ? Houston, TX

● Macy’s Bellevue ? Bellevue, WA

● Macy’s Alderwood ? Lynnwood, WA

● Macy’s Metro Center ? Washington, DC