Shopping for Santa Claus: Origins of Macy’s and the Holiday Icon

In 1858, a retail revolution began at the bustling intersection of 6th Avenue and 14th Street in New York City. Rowland Hussey Macy opened a dry goods store that would eventually become one of the most recognizable names in retail: Macy’s. This unassuming shop was the beginning of a retail empire and cultural legacy that shaped and continues to shape how we shop, but also left an indelible mark on New York City’s and America’s history and culture, especially how we celebrate the holidays.

Macy’s original store was far from the sprawling flagship we know today at Herald Square. Nestled in a modest building at 6th Avenue and 14th Street, the shop catered to a burgeoning middle-class clientele eager for quality goods at reasonable prices. Rowland H. Macy, a visionary entrepreneur, introduced revolutionary practices such as one-price systems, no-haggle policies, and money-back guarantees—concepts that were groundbreaking in an era dominated by bargaining and fluctuating prices.

Macy’s was also one of the first department stores to introduce innovations that revolutionized the experience of shopping visually and for children. Christmas and Macy’s have had a special bond going back 150 years. The official origin of the department store Santa dates to 1890 when James Edgar dressed up as the iconic Christmas gift-giver in his Brockton, Massachusetts store. However, Macy’s claims, as per their website, that Santa Claus was making himself at home and having children visit him at their original 14th Street location as early as 1862! Another Christmas first is when Macy’s introduced the holiday window displays in 1874. Animated window displays began to appear as early as 1884.

R.H. Macy passed away in 1877, and the Straus family with brothers Isidor and Nathan, had become sole proprietors of the department store by 1896. While the original 1858 Macy’s headquarters is no more, the 1897 building that replaced the mish-mash of several buildings that Macy’s had expanded into still stands at 56 West 14th Street, and is now a landmarked building.  

The success of Macy’s in its original Greenwich Village location allowed it to move up to Herald Square and open its new enormous headquarters in 1902. It would be from here that Macy’s would expand beyond New York and cement its iconic status as an American institution. In 1924 the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade was held, with none other than Santa Claus himself concluding what has become an American tradition and the start of the holiday season.

The relationship between Santa Claus and Macy’s continued to grow through the 20th century from the 1947 movie Miracle on 34th Street to 1977 when Santaland became a permanent fixture on the eighth floor of Macy’s Herald Square flagship store. The history of Macy’s is more than just a tale of retail success; it reflects the dynamic evolution of New York City itself. From its Village roots, the store grew into a symbol of innovation and inclusivity, setting the stage for the department store as a cultural institution, especially during the holiday season. Along with Greenwich Village’s links to the famed poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” better known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and the long association between Santa Claus and Macy’s, we can consider Greenwich Village America’s North Pole.