For Olivier Bron, chief executive officer of Bloomingdale’s, it’s all about balance.
That would be maintaining a balance in the merchandise presentation, a balance between short- and long-term goals, and a business model shaped by both art and science.
“It can’t only be about data, data, data. At some point, it’s about relationship building. It’s about experience. It’s about emotions, which are very important. We probably lost a bit of that in the U.S.,” he said on Thursday. The CEO was at the Wharton Baker Retailing Center CEO Summit in Manhattan, and in a conversation with Christine Barton, CEO Advisory, North American Lead at the Boston Consulting Group.
Bron came down pretty hard on retailing in the U.S.
“It’s very skewed toward short-term returns,” he said. “You can’t build a brand that way.” Particularly in the case of Bloomingdale’s, which presents a balance of premium contemporary to high luxury brands, as well as a balance of fashion and home furnishings.
Bloomingdale’s had a standout performance in the second quarter, posting a comparable sales gain of 11.3 percent — bringing its volume to $922 million, its highest second-quarter sales total in the history of the brand. Sources have estimated the brand generated around $4 billion in sales in 2025.
Bloomingdale’s — which operates 31 department stores, 25 outlets and four of its smaller format Bloomie’s stores — is being propelled in the U.S. by the “K-shaped” economy, which has helped the luxury market rebound this year compared with Europe and Asia.
“The economy is not bad for us,” Bron observed.
He also said Bloomingdale’s net promoter scores, or NPS, are the highest they’ve ever been. “But also the vibe and the energy right now at Bloomingdale’s is amazing.”
In an apparent reference to the Exemplar Luxury Group, which operates Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman and emerged from bankruptcy in June, Bron said: “We know some competitors have been unfocused recently, which gives us some room and some opportunities. It probably helped the great performance of Bloomingdale’s over the past 24 months. 2025 has been the new high water mark for Bloomingdale’s. In 2026, I hope we will be well above that, so it definitely helped. About probably 25 percent of this performance is due to the challenges that others faced at some point over the past 12 to 24 months. But I really believe it’s our strategy that’s [providing] the biggest impact and driving the biggest results for us.”
He said Bloomingdale’s has generally been risk averse.
But added that: “Retail and particularly fashion retail is about taking risks. Over the last three years, we took some risks in buying or investing in some not so short-term ROIs.” He also said 80 percent of the products sold at Bloomingdale’s are bought wholesale, which is riskier than the concession model but also potentially more profitable, depending on the brand.
Bron emphasized that Bloomingdale’s is on a mission to transform its experience to be more like what’s found at a brand or designer boutique, where typically the fashion is more dramatically displayed, there’s better ambience and service, and there’s storytelling capturing the brand image and essence.
Also, “When you go in a U.S. department store, it’s pretty obvious there is a big difference versus what you experience in Europe or in Asia. The experience of department stores here is like this forest of racks with a lot of brands, packed with products. Some department stores have great products. But it’s boring.”
There’s more to purchasing a luxury handbag than just spending thousands of dollars on the actual product, Bron said. “You’re buying a brand. You’re buying a social marker. You’re buying an experience that makes it worth what you bought, and this is really what I think the department store world lost a bit of over the past 30 years. It’s this branding, this storytelling, that has become increasingly important for the customer and for our brand partners.”
Still, he said talk of the death of department stores is off the mark as hundreds of millions of consumers continue to visit them each year.
“It’s still a very relevant model, maybe slightly eroding in traffic and in number of customers here and there, but it’s not a fatality,” Bron said. “If we do it right, I’m absolutely convinced — and this is what we’re experiencing at Bloomingdale’s — the number of customers are increasing and the sales are increasing. I think we’re more relevant than what we used to be.”
He said the best way to invest in Bloomingdale’s is to invest in its stores. “If you close your eyes and think about your best experience at Bloomingdale’s, you will never refer to that big, nice brown box delivered to the your front door. Never. You are going to refer to an experience in the store where you met someone you loved or found products you were not expecting to discover.”
Eighty percent of Bloomingdale’s digital sales originate from areas where there is a Bloomingdale’s store, he said. “Investing in our stores is really reinforcing our digital business.”
Retailers can get obsessed about innovation, digital, data and AI. At Bloomingdale’s, Bron said it’s about “investing in innovation, but without losing sight of our purpose, our DNA, and what is making the department store experience special.
“For me, the best department store in the world is probably Le Bon Marché in Paris,” he said. “They don’t have digital. They are all in on the in-store experience.” At times, Bon Marché removes merchandise for special events such as fashion shows.
“I’m not saying [Bon Marché’s approach] is the right model for us. I’m just saying they’re an interesting source of inspiration. Data and digital technology can not be the only answer to the challenges we’re facing. They support the strategy. They’re helping us getting better at serving the customers the right way,” but it has to be, he said, “without losing the purpose and without losing the vision of who we are.
“We’re selling products that actually you don’t need. So why would you buy another handbag? Why would you buy another you know shirt or skirt? Because it feels good. Because it’s rewarding. It’s good for your self-esteem,” he said.
“When you close the door of Bloomingdale’s behind you, you have to feel something different. It has to feel good. It’s a lot about emotions.”
