Boston shoppers react to the loss of a famous Boston brand that has drawn shoppers downtown for generations. Federated Department Stores, which also operates Macy's, has announced that when it acquires Filene's, it will cease to use the brand's name and will close stores in Boston and other cities.
MICHELE NORRIS, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.  I'm Michele Norris.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Some famous names in the retail world are disappearing--among them      Foley's, Kaufmann's, Hecht's, Robinsons-May and Filene's.  Those regional      chains are being converted to Macy's.  It's part of Federated Department      Stores $17-billion acquisition of May Department Stores.  As Martha      Bebinger reports from member station WBUR, many Boston shoppers are sad      to see Filene's go.</s>MARTHA BEBINGER reporting: Bells accompany shoppers and workers on their lunch break at an      intersection in downtown Boston, where Filene's and Macy's have faced off      for years.  Lisa Pochey(ph) juggled shopping bags outside Filene's.</s>Ms. LISA POCHEY (Shopper): My grandmother used to shop here many years      ago. My aunt used to come to Filene's, I come to Filene's, my mother.      It's really just too bad.  I'm really sad about it.  It's really sort of      a monument I say. In Italy, that's what they would call it, a historical      monument.</s>BEBINGER: Filene's started in Boston as a women's clothing store in      1890. The store's founder, William Filene, immigrated from Prussia.  The      company expanded across New England.  Filene's in Boston became a legend      in part for Filene's Basement, where bargain-priced designer clothes      occasionally sparked fights.  The Basement has since become an      independent chain not affected by this merger.  But Filene's reputation      remains, says shopper Willie Jones(ph) of Boston.</s>Mr. WILLIE JONES (Shopper): I'm originally from Virginia.  And, like,      Filene's was one of the first landmark places that I actually visited.      And the thing about it is you can talk to people from all over the United      States; it's known nationwide.</s>BEBINGER: But the reputation is apparently not broad enough to expand      nationwide.  Federated plans to convert 10 regional chains, including      Filene's, Foley's, Hecht's and Kaufmann's to Macy's.  Spokesman Jim      Sluzewski says the intent of the merger is to give Macy's a stronger      national presence.</s>Mr. JIM SLUZEWSKI (Spokesman): To build the national brand, to be able      to have the presence of a national brand, national advertising and      marketing, etc., it's important that stores across the country be      operated under the same nameplate.</s>BEBINGER: Analysts say the merger is a response to pressures department      stores are facing from Wal-Mart and other big-box discount retailers.      Boston Mayor Tom Menino is trying to lure one of those big-box chains to      what is expected to be a vacant, full-block, multistory building at the      intersection that now includes Filene's and Macy's.</s>Mayor TOM MENINO (Boston): There are a lot of retailers who are      interested because, you know, more people go through Downtown Crossing in      a day than at any of the other malls we have in the city of Boston.</s>BEBINGER: As word that Filene's will be no more spreads, so does the      gloom. Polly Higgins(ph) is a flight attendant stopping by Filene's      during her 24-hour layover in Boston.</s>Ms. POLLY HIGGINS (Flight Attendant): I just heard yesterday.  And we      said we had to put some of our flight attendants on suicide watch because      when they find out, they're going to just be so upset.</s>BEBINGER: Higgins remembers her favorite bargain, a black-sequined,      halter top cocktail dress.</s>Ms. POLLY HIGGINS (Flight Attendant): I just happen to have a picture of it right here.</s>BEBINGER: Oh, the little black dress.</s>Ms. POLLY HIGGINS (Flight Attendant): Thirty-four dollars.  Can't beat it.  We love this place.      Every time we're here, we come down and spend money.  It's fun.  My      husband'll be happy.</s>BEBINGER: Federated and May expect to complete the merger after state      and federal regulators finish their review sometime this fall.  For NPR      News, I'm Martha Bebinger in Boston.