Bloomingdale's Posts Best Quarter in 165 Years as Rivals Slide

Quick Facts

Bloomingdale’s comparable sales rose 11.3% in Q2 2026, marking five consecutive quarters of positive comps and the best second quarter in the chain’s 165-year history.
Saks Global-owned retailers posted sales declines of 10% and 16% in the same period, while Bloomingdale’s saw year-over-year gains of 20.9% in May and 13.3% in June.
Digital sales now account for more than 30% of Bloomingdale’s total business, and the chain operates 31 full-line stores, 25 outlets, and four smaller Bloomie’s units.

Bloomingdale’s is outperforming every major competitor in American luxury retail. Parent company Macy’s Inc. reported that Bloomingdale’s comparable sales grew 11.3% in the second quarter of 2026, its second consecutive quarter of double-digit growth and its best Q2 result in 165 years of operation.

Sales rose across every channel, market, and category. For context, the Macy’s nameplate posted just 1.1% comparable sales growth in the same period, and Macy’s Inc. overall grew 2.7%.

The results widened the gap between Bloomingdale’s and its closest luxury department store rivals. Saks Global-owned retailers recorded sales declines of 16% and 10%, respectively, during the quarter. Bloomingdale’s monthly breakdown tells the story: sales up 6.0% in April, 20.9% in May, and 13.3% in June.

The Strategy Behind the Numbers

Bloomingdale’s CEO Olivier Bron has been executing a plan called “Dream Big” since taking the helm. The strategy centers on flagship renovations, curated brand assortments, and a heavy investment in in-store events and client experiences.

Bron has committed to hosting 400 client events in 2026 and launching four major advertising campaigns. “There’s a great opportunity for us right now,” Bron said. “We have to catch it and work hard to deliver.”

His ambition is specific. “We don’t want to be the number-one department store in the U.S.,” Bron said. “What I would like to be is the local leader. We want to be the omnichannel, local leader.”

Kevin Harter, Bloomingdale’s VP of integrated marketing, credited the chain’s pop-up program as “a great place for us to test out new brands and see how they resonate with our shopper.”

Traffic Data Backs the Momentum

Foot traffic data supports the sales figures. According to Placer.ai, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom were the only department stores to report higher average visits per venue in the second half of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier.

Elizabeth Lafontaine, director of research at Placer.ai, said Bloomingdale’s is returning to its roots by highlighting what makes it distinctive through curated in-store experiences. That approach “is resonating a lot with consumers right now,” she said.

A Shrinking Sector, a Growing Brand

The broader department store sector remains under structural pressure. Euromonitor estimates U.S. department store sales dropped to roughly $57 billion in 2024 from $112 billion in 2008, a compound annual decline of about 4%.

Bloomingdale’s contributed an estimated 15% of Macy’s Inc. net sales in 2024, or roughly $3.3 billion to $3.6 billion. Digital now accounts for more than 30% of that total.

Macy’s raised its full-year 2026 guidance for the second time this year. The company now expects net sales of $21.6 billion to $21.8 billion, with same-store sales growth of 1.0% to 1.5% and adjusted diluted EPS of $2.15 to $2.35.

Macy’s CEO Tony Spring pointed to the Bloomingdale’s customer base as a strategic asset. “We’ve cultivated a unique multigenerational customer base that’s incredibly loyal, including the luxury customer of the future, and are taking share across categories, regions, and brands,” Spring said.

Morningstar senior equity analyst David Swartz noted that Spring has borrowed from the Bloomingdale’s playbook to shore up the Macy’s nameplate, specifically by targeting higher-income shoppers and separating the brand from declining middle-market competitors.

What Operators Should Watch

Bloomingdale’s results show that physical retail with strong event programming, local market focus, and a clear omnichannel strategy can still grow against the broader sector decline. The chain’s eight consecutive quarters of growth suggest the model is durable, not a one-quarter anomaly.

For DTC brands, Bloomingdale’s pop-up testing approach offers a low-risk path to gauge wholesale demand before committing to permanent shelf space.