Macy’s is taking its Style Crew affiliate program beyond social feeds, putting creator-led curation into in-person experiences and direct mail to deepen trust and drive omnichannel performance.
The big shift: from posts to places
Style Crew includes over 600 creators, and Macy’s has been actively expanding how those creators show up across the customer journey, not just on Instagram or TikTok.
For the 2025 holiday season, Macy’s tested direct mailers featuring Style Crew picks and a QR code that recipients could scan to view more creator content, showing there’s appetite for creator curation in offline formats too.
What “offline creators” looks like
Macy’s also tested bringing Style Crew “storefronts” into physical stores via pop-ups in three cities (Dallas, Miami, New York), each tied to a creator and a distinct focus (family picks, holiday style, beauty).
The brand framed these IRL tests as a way to reach both existing fans and regular shoppers who happen to be in-store, while also resonating with the 30–45 segment they’re prioritizing with in-store experiences.
Why this is an omnichannel win
This approach blends affiliate marketing’s measurable outcomes with influencer marketing’s trust and storytelling, which Macy’s notes are increasingly overlapping in practice.
It also turns “creator content” into owned-channel assets (mail, stores, QR-driven experiences), helping Macy’s show consistent curation across multiple touchpoints instead of relying on fleeting scroll-by impressions.
What businesses can copy (without Macy’s budget)
- Build creator campaigns that travel: one styling concept can become short-form video, an email module, a printed mail piece, and an in-store event presence.
- Make offline shoppable: use QR codes to connect print or events to creator storefronts/content so attribution doesn’t disappear in the physical world.
- Treat creators like partners: Macy’s emphasizes community engagement and not only sales, which helps affiliate programs stay authentic and sustainable.
Creator-led styling events, QR-enabled postcards, and creator-driven product “edits” can work well for retail, salons, fitness studios, restaurants, and service brands when the creative and tracking are planned together; Marketeller can help package that into an integrated campaign that includes content creation, design/print, and digital marketing execution.
