Macy's welcomes 25 businesses for retail accelerator

During the month of May, Macy’s is welcoming 25 brand owners participating in a retail accelerator program that provides access to funding and connections to the storied department store owner's network.

The Workshop at Macy’s supports women- and diverse-owned businesses with a monthlong program focused on education in key business functions such as brand identity, financial management, assortment planning, pitching, growth capital and more.

The program also provides connections to customers and suppliers. Participants will have the opportunity to sell products at scale on a digital popup shop on macys.com. Then, following graduation, the cohort participants will be introduced to Macy’s buyers and digital marketplace teams. This will set up the opportunity to onboard as vendors.

When it comes to funding, the brands can enter a pitch competition, which offers the winner a $100,000 prize. This is offered in addition to a $5,000 grant that all businesses receive when they complete the program. Brands will also be introduced to S.P.U.R. Pathways: Shared Purpose, Unlimited Reach, the multiyear financing program that Macy’s introduced last year in partnership with Momentus Capital to provide a range of funding options for underrepresented businesses.

“For more than a decade, The Workshop at Macy’s has represented our ongoing commitment to amplify and uplift underrepresented businesses by providing entrepreneurs with a best-in-class development program,” said Michelle Wang, Macy’s vice-president, retail diversity strategy, in a statement. “Through Mission Every One, Macy’s is dedicated to reinventing and reimagining representation in retail by providing participants with the tools and resources to excel, and I’m thrilled for this year’s businesses to experience growth, continue to develop and create meaningful connections through The Workshop at Macy’s.”

Here’s a look at the brands participating in the program: