Are holiday department store displays becoming a ghost of Christmas past?

PHILADELPHIA − A crowd waited outside Macy's for the doors to open on a cloudy, foggy Tuesday morning a couple of weeks before Christmas.

Some were there to shop, but others, such as Bryan and Amanda Jones and their two children, were waiting for a show: The Holiday Light Show, a five-story high display with a tree and moving lights, narrated by famed actress Julie Andrews and set to standards like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman."

They also planned to walk through the Dickens Village at the Philadelphia flagship store, an animatronic-filled reenactment of "A Christmas Carol," the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts who persuade him to change his misanthropic, miserly ways. And of course the children would get to meet Santa, perched on the third floor near the Dickens Village.

Bryan Jones remembered coming to the city as a child when he visited his cousin. The light show at John Wanamaker's − now Macy's − was a treasured destination, he said.

"I remember it being so festive," he said. "Lots of happy, smiling faces." He wants his own children to relish those moments. "I wanted them to experience the same feeling. That sense of joy around Christmas."

Now, as some high-end department stores close and others struggle to adapt to shoppers' changing habits, residents such as Jones are wondering: Are big holiday department store displays a ghost of Christmas past?

Earlier this month, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported that the Wanamaker Building, which also includes office spaces that emptied during the pandemic and the switch to remote and hybrid work, may be converted into residential space.

"It's a little sad they're going away," Bryan Jones said. "They're really part of the fabric of the whole Christmas tradition."

A way to get shoppers in the door, and keep them there

Higher-end department stores, once a fixture of urban commercial districts, emerged after World War II as a place for shoppers to browse, have lunch and visit in-store salons and service providers, said Richard Longstreth, a professor of American studies at George Washington University.

The goal, he said, "was to keep people in as long as possible," especially women who had the time and resources to spend money at the stores and their cafes and salons. "There was this idea of dressing up, taking the train downtown and spending the day at the department store."

Big holiday displays and shows were a way to expand on the shopping experience. Parents could bring their children to see Santa Claus, often strategically located on a higher floor so shoppers had to make their way past all types of goods − from clothing to shoes to housewares to toys − that ended up in shopping bags or on holiday wish lists.

Stores such as John Wanamaker's in Philadelphia, Marshall Field's in Chicago, Maison Blanche in New Orleans, Gimbel's (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York and Milwaukee), Joseph Horne's in Pittsburgh and Rich's in Atlanta became symbols of their respective cities even as they expanded to other places, retail historian Michael Lisicky said.

And so did their unique features and holiday traditions: the Wanamaker organ; the Mr. Bingle marionette that's still a beloved NOLA icon; the Horne's Christmas tree, to name a few.

"It was all part of the theater of these big stores," Lisicky said. Productions such as the light show at Wanamaker's (and later, at Strawbridge & Clothier, Lord & Taylor and now Macy's, all of which have inhabited the space in Center City Philadelphia), for example, were created by people trained in theater production.

Wanamaker's and other stores even had a monorail that ferried children along the toy department − the better to see all the things to ask Santa for. "Christmas was an event," Lisicky said. "It was a social event and a family outing and eventually (the shows, displays and productions) developed into traditions."

Changing times, changing shopping trends lead to changing traditions

By the 1960s, '70s and '80s, Longstreth said, department stores, like the downtowns that once held them, were changing. Cities' commercial districts began to empty out as suburbanization took hold, and instead of shopping in big downtown department stores, people spent their afternoons at malls.

"And more women were moving into the workforce," Longstreth said, "which put a dent into" daylong excursions for weekday shopping, salon visits and lunches out.

Consolidations, closures and cost-cutting all factored in as well: Shopping destinations including Wanamaker's, Maison Blanche, Strawbridge & Clothier, Gimbel's, Horne's and Marshall Field's were either bought out by stronger competitors such as Macy's or folded altogether as shoppers' habits shifted to discount chains such as Walmart and Target.

And in recent years as more and more Americans turned to online shopping and e-commerce platforms flourished, malls have closed and major department stores have struggled − and their holiday traditions sometimes fall by the wayside.

In November, Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City announced it would not offer its light show, blaming "a challenging year for luxury," The New York Times reported.

Traditions evolve and some do endure

Even as department stores have taken hits in recent times, the holiday traditions that do live on are all the more treasured by the shoppers who love them.

Mr. Bingle merchandise is still available through Dillard's, which took over Maison Blanche. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is still a must-watch for people in New York City and around the country. Horne's Christmas tree is still in Pittsburgh even though the store isn't.

Department store windows along Midtown Manhattan's iconic Fifth Avenue still stun and dazzle, drawing crowds of tourists every holiday season.

And Macy's, in addition to maintaining the Dickens Village and Holiday Light Show in Philadelphia, also has elaborate Santaland displays in Philadelphia, Herald Square (New York), Chicago's State Street and in San Francisco.

"Being a linchpin of the community was a goal of department store owners," Longstreth said. The department stores that have survived recognize that and have adapted accordingly.

Kathleen Wright, who is director of production operations for Macy’s Studios, said the company still wants its stores to be "the ultimate holiday destination, whether shoppers are looking for gifts or to enjoy the whole holiday experience."

Macy's Studios works year-round to plan, build, maintain, improve and execute shows and displays, including July 4 fireworks along the Hudson River, the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Santalands and the Philadelphia light show and Dickens Village. "Our goal is to maintain these local traditions," she said, "because we know how important it is to local clientele."

Though there have been some changes, such as the implementation of reservations for Santalands and the Dickens Village, and Santas who are more representative of Macy's diverse clientele, Wright said, one thing remains the same: The experiences remain free and open to all.

"Keeping it free is really important, too, because we know it’s about the experience and continuing to welcome customers to our stores," she said. "By inviting people in, providing them with these experiences, it creates holiday spirit."

'It was never just about shopping'

As new owners took over longtime retailers, Lisicky said, many recognized their role in the civic consciousness. "There was an uproar (in some cities) that they were erasing local identities," he said, so chains tried to find ways to preserve some of those traditions.

Lisicky, who's authored 10 books about department stores, believes that "as long as there's Macy's, there will probably always be the (Thanksgiving Day) parade, and as long as the doors are open in Center City (Philadelphia), there will always be a light show."

In Philadelphia, Friends of the Wanamaker Organ acts as a caretaker organization and works closely with Macy's to keep the holiday traditions going.

"It was never just about shopping," he said. "You can talk to anyone over a certain age, and there will be, especially around Christmas, some kind of memory, and their eyes will light up.

"That's what Christmas can do. It has that kind of magic."

There was still plenty of magic on a recent day at the Center City Macy's in Philadelphia as families walked through the store.

Trevor and Rebecca Higginson wrangled their four children, ages 8 months to 5, on the ground floor at Macy's, waiting for the Holiday Light Show. They'd already met Santa and walked through the Dickens Village, and while it was their first holiday visit, the Higginsons said it wouldn't be their last.

"It was so magical," Rebecca said.

"It was," her husband agreed. "Absolutely magical for the kids. They loved it."

Phaedra Trethan has walked through the Dickens Village and marveled at the Holiday Light Show in Philadelphia for several years. Reach her at ptrethan@usatoday.com, on Bluesky @byphaedra or on Threads @by_phaedra.

Shop smarter: Sign up for USA TODAY's Daily Money newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As department stores fade, do they still have some holiday magic left?