{"id":777065,"date":"2025-12-01T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T02:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=777065"},"modified":"2025-12-01T05:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T02:30:00","slug":"how-department-stores-are-warming-up-a-chilly-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=777065","title":{"rendered":"How Department Stores Are Warming Up a Chilly Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bricks-and-mortar<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

How Department Stores Are Warming Up a Chilly Holiday Season<\/h1>\n
By <\/span>Hilary Milnes<\/span>, Maliha Shoaib<\/span>, Ella Graveney<\/span>, and Kirsty McGregor<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

December 1, 2025<\/p>\n

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    Photo: Nina Westervelt via Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
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    Across department stores, thousands of glimmering Christmas lights and extravagant window displays are doing the work to beckon in customers and brighten up a potentially gloomy season. Consumer budgets are tighter, luxury\u2019s rebound isn\u2019t expected to fully come to fruition until next year, and the Trump administration\u2019s tariff policy has thrown pricing strategies into disarray.<\/p>\n

    The pressure is on for the ever-important fourth-quarter holiday sales season to deliver. Retailers are pulling out all the stops and coming up with ways to drum up sales without relying heavily on promotions, which eat further into margins at a time when supply chain costs are rising.<\/p>\n

    Vogue Business<\/em> surveyed the holiday plans of six key retailers in the US, the UK and Ireland \u2014 Bloomingdale\u2019s, Nordstrom, Selfridges, Harrods, Liberty and Brown Thomas \u2014 to find out how they\u2019re gussying up their store displays, gathering the most giftable assortments and positioning themselves as go-to destinations in what\u2019s sure to be a complex and competitive shopping season.<\/p>\n

    Bloomingdale\u2019s: From scarves to Santa<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    A giant Burberry check scarf hugs Bloomingdale\u2019s 59th Street fa\u00e7ade. Inside the store, you\u2019ll find a crimson-check capsule spanning graphic tees to beanies, collectible Burberry-dressed holiday bears and a branded takeover at rotating retail space The Carousel. The British brand is \u201cco-author\u201d of Bloomingdale\u2019s immersive holiday experience, a partnership that came out of \u201ca shared desire to build a holiday moment that feels both iconic and joyful\u201d, according to Rachel Abeles, Bloomingdale\u2019s SVP of customer and revenue growth.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe holidays are when people want to feel connected \u2014 to family, to tradition, to each other,\u201d says Abeles. This sense of togetherness is the crux of the US department store\u2019s Happy Together holiday campaign, which emphasizes the cross-generational and emotive aspects of festive consumption. \u201cCustomers aren\u2019t just searching for gifts during the holiday season, they\u2019re searching for moments that feel special and experiences that augment their lives.\u201d For 2025, the level of brand integration \u2014 and immersion \u2014 at Bloomingdale\u2019s flagship is the deepest yet. Aside from the Burberry activations, Canada Goose has staged a holiday pop-up featuring heritage and archival pieces, Baccarat has overhauled content studio-slash-cocktail bar Studio 59, while Santaland, to which visits have become tradition for many, has undergone a reimagining.<\/p>\n

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    Bloomingdale’s.<\/span>Photo: Michael Nagle\/Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    According to Abeles, the fourth quarter of the year is when the retailer welcomes almost half of its annual customer base, who engage across channels. \u201cDigital is our front door; it fuels relevance, acquisition and discovery early in the season. But stores are where our brand emotion lives, they\u2019re where the loyalty deepens,\u201d she says. This year at Bloomingdale\u2019s, the holidays are about creating multi-touchpoint destinations that offer something for everyone.<\/p>\n

    Nordstrom: Embracing nostalgia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    What makes a good gift? That was a central question Nordstrom aimed to answer when it began planning its holiday strategy this year. \u201cThere has to be a story behind a good gift,\u201d says chief merchandising officer Jamie Nordstrom. \u201cYou want to be able to tell someone why you bought it.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Nordstrom expects high demand for cashmere, Skims pajamas, Uggs, Jo Malone perfume and Beats by Dre headphones. To make shopping for these \u2014 and more \u2014 as easy as possible, it has carved out first-floor spaces across its stores dedicated to gifting, with picks for kids, teens and adults within easy reach. Nordstrom \u2014 which has a bit more freedom this Christmas as its first since the company was taken private \u2014 is putting the emphasis on physical retail in an attempt to boost margins, offering free pictures with Santa for loyalty members and a campaign focused on holiday shopping as discovery rather than a chore.<\/p>\n

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    Nordstrom.<\/span>Photo: Courtesy of Nordstrom<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    \u201cThe one thing our website is really good at is when you know what you want to buy; it\u2019s efficient. But there are a lot of occasions when you just want to shop and find something new, something we didn\u2019t know we wanted to have. Stores are really good at that, the serendipitous find,\u201d Nordstrom says.<\/p>\n

    Price promotions are a smaller part of the holiday strategy this year, but Nordstrom points to the under-$50 gift selection. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of data that shows that\u2019s where people are buying, that\u2019s the magic number so far this season, and we\u2019ve focused on that,\u201d he says. For those in that budget range, items like a Voluspa candle or the Nodpod weighted sleep mask are front and center. The retailer will reassess sales performance in January, item by item, Nordstrom says, to see how tariffs might have factored into the holiday season.<\/p>\n

    Selfridges: The perfect partner<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    This Christmas marks the first holiday season to see British department store Selfridges take on a brand collaborator: Disney. From November through December, its Oxford Street windows, as well as those of its Manchester and Birmingham outposts, will be covered in Disney animations, while its shelves stocked with bespoke products created by Selfridges, Disney and over 70 brand partners. The iconic yellow bag has also been transformed for the first time since its 2009 centenary, and the London store\u2019s fa\u00e7ade is hosting a Tinker Bell light show \u2014 the biggest installation to feature on the building for over 50 years.<\/p>\n

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    A preview of the collaboration.<\/span>Photo: Courtesy of Selfridges<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    \u201cWe leaned into lots of the British classics, like Alice in Wonderland<\/em>, Peter Pan<\/em>, 101 Dalmatians<\/em>, and these inform the creative on everything from our windows to the fa\u00e7ade to the product,\u201d Selfridges creative director Will Wyness told Vogue Business<\/em> before launch. For him, Christmas is Selfridges\u2019s biggest time of the year, so it felt like the best platform for it to tell those stories. The collaboration has been two years in the making. \u201cIt was a big decision for us internally, because we\u2019ve never had a headline collaborator for Christmas. [But] Disney\u2019s been a big part of everyone\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

    In partnering with Disney, Selfridges can tap into the cozy magic that\u2019s historically underpinned the brand and its familiarity with the festive period. \u201cWe wanted to have a conversation where our worlds meet each other,\u201d said Wyness. \u201cFrom product through to the kind of overarching storytelling and marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Harrods: Immersive storytelling<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Harrods is doubling down on storytelling this festive season. The London-based department store has partnered with Brunello Cucinelli on its key window display, while outside the store, the Brunello Cucinelli Visionary Dream Van is serving up traditional panettone and winter beverages to passersby. \u201cPhysical retail is about creating moments that stay with you \u2014 and Harrods must always deliver that \u2018wow\u2019 moment. This year, we\u2019re focusing on a tactile and elegant approach \u2014 from the grandeur of our windows to intimate in-store experiences that invite wonder,\u201d says Alex Unitt, partnership director at Harrods. \u201cIt\u2019s about transforming shopping into an experience, where customers connect with the brands they love.\u201d<\/p>\n

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    Brunello Cucinelli\u2019s exclusive collection for Harrods.<\/span>Photo: Courtesy of Brunello Cucinelli<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    Harrods anticipates beauty and toys to perform well this season, especially as a broad range of customers from different countries, age groups and lifestyles flock to the flagship during the holidays. \u201cOur dedicated Popmart and Jellycat spaces will undoubtedly attract significant attention, offering unique collectibles that resonate with a younger audience. Ultimately, the season is about diversity and discovery, and Harrods is the go-to place for both,\u201d says Unitt. \u201cWhile we remain mindful of macroeconomic factors, we\u2019ve doubled down on exclusivity and craftsmanship. Customers are increasingly discerning, seeking pieces that resonate and stand the test of time. This season, that philosophy is more relevant than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Liberty London: Emotional connection and playfulness<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    London department store Liberty is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2025. Outgoing managing director Sarah Coonan has set the challenge that this year must \u201cexceed all expectations\u201d. To make that a reality, the store landed on The Making of Christmas as its holiday concept. From the campaign and window display, to the central atrium installation and e-commerce site, Christmas visuals follow a mischievous elf behind the scenes at Santa\u2019s workshop.<\/p>\n

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    Liberty\u2019s central atrium.<\/span>Photo: Courtesy of Liberty<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    \u201cWe\u2019ve spent the year talking about the importance of artistry and craftsmanship, and who better than Santa\u2019s elves \u2014 the ultimate artisans \u2014 to be the central theme of our story,\u201d says Coonan. \u201cWhen sentiment is cautious, people tend to gravitate toward what\u2019s meaningful. For us, that\u2019s a celebration of craftsmanship, our history and the sense of discovery a customer gets from Liberty.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Coonan expects the store\u2019s popular diaries and scarves (featuring Liberty\u2019s heritage floral and graphic art) to perform well, especially with price-conscious consumers. Fragrance is also expected to outperform. \u201cPeople want value, they want something that\u2019s beautifully made and timeless,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have strong values that go beyond commercial results. Success this year would look at measures of engagement \u2014 it\u2019s really about that emotional connection with our customer.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Brown Thomas: Personalized and exclusive<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Irish department store chain Brown Thomas\u2019s holiday strategy centers on deepening customer loyalty and elevating experience. \u201cIrish customers are among the most engaged in the world, visiting us nearly five times a year on average, more than double comparable markets \u2014 and we are building a season that reflects that level of connection,\u201d says Donald McDonald, CEO of Brown Thomas Arnotts. This year, the retailer is launching its This is Christmas campaign, alongside a new paid membership program called Inner Circle. McDonald says this will allow it to bring \u201ca more personalized, privilege-driven and exclusive Christmas experience to our customers\u201d.<\/p>\n

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    Photo: Courtesy of Brown Thomas<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    This holiday season will also be Brown Thomas\u2019s most immersive yet. \u201cWe\u2019ve built a richer program of luxury brand activations, curated pop-ups and intimate in-store events \u2014 all designed to bring the season\u2019s creativity and storytelling to life,\u201d McDonald says. This will include exclusive capsule drops and limited-edition collaborations, masterclasses and gifting experiences across fashion, beauty and home.<\/p>\n

    McDonald says its customers value convenience, seamless omnichannel shopping and trusted in-store advice, so categories that support easy, thoughtful gifting \u2014 beauty and fragrance included \u2014 tend to lead the season. \u201cWe\u2019re also seeing strong engagement with our brand activations and pop-ups, which give customers a sense of discovery and excitement when they visit our stores,\u201d he says. \u201cThe atmosphere within Brown Thomas is a major draw in itself \u2014 from the grand piano to our globally recognized singing doorman, whose performances go viral each year. Those moments of warmth, service and theater are a powerful part of what brings customers back throughout the festive period.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

    Source URL: http:\/\/vogue.com\/article\/how-department-stores-are-warming-up-a-chilly-holiday-season<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Bricks-and-mortar How Department Stores Are Warming Up a Chilly Holiday Season By Hilary Milnes, Maliha Shoaib, Ella Graveney, and Kirsty McGregor December 1, 2025 Photo: Nina Westervelt via Getty Images Across department stores, thousands of glimmering Christmas lights and extravagant window displays are doing the work to beckon in customers and brighten up a potentially […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":777066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-777065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-vogue-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/777065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=777065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/777065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/777066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=777065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=777065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=777065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}