Macy’s, Inc.’s department stores as well as its subsidiaries, including Bloomingdale’s department stores, will stop selling animal fur products after striking a partnership with the Humane Society of the U.S., the company said.
The decision includes the closure of Macy’s 34 Fur Vaults and Bloomingdale’s 22 Maximilian salons.
“Over the past two years, we have been closely following consumer and brand trends, listening to our customers and researching alternatives to fur,” Jeff Gennette, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc., said in a statement. “Macy’s private brands are already fur free so expanding this practice across all Macy’s, Inc. is the natural next step.”
Kitty Block, the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the U.S., applauded the decision, calling it “forward-thinking.”
“This announcement is consistent with the views of countless consumers in the marketplace, and other retailers should follow,” she said. “With so many designers, major cities and now a state taking a stand against the sale of fur, we’re that much closer to ending this unnecessary and inhumane practice.”
More than 100 million animals are killed worldwide each year for their fur, according to the Humane Society.
The announcement comes a little more than a week after California banned the sale of fur products statewide. The new legislation prohibits the sales and production of new fur items starting in 2023. Several California cities ― including Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Francisco and West Hollywood ― already had similar local legislation in place.
New York City, where Macy’s flagship Harold Square department store is located, is also considering a fur ban.
Designers Stella McCartney, Gucci, Michael Kors, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Diane von Furstenberg, Versace and Givenchy have also pledged to go fur-free.