Macy’s solution for the retail apocalypse? Selling ads.

Modest Proposal, a must-follow on Twitter, once tweeted, “On a long enough timeline, everyone sells ads.”

Macy’s is proving his point.

After narrowly escaping bankruptcy in 2020 with a $4.5B loan, and shuttering 45 stores in 2021, the department store behemoth reported its ad network is pulling in “tens of millions of dollars.”

So what exactly is Macy’s selling?

Macy’s Media Network gives brands the ability to target its customers with a combination of physical and digital ad campaigns, including:

• Ads on the Macy’s website and app
• Ads across social media and email
• In-store video ads across 25 screens in select locations

So far, the company counts brands like Harry’s, Estée Lauder, and Ralph Lauren as customers, and already has some serious fans.

Melissa Burdick, a 10-year Amazon vet who now heads up Pacvue, an enterprise ad platform, called it a “must-buy” for her fashion clients.

Macy’s isn’t the only retailer experimenting with ads

Others include Walmart, Target, CVS, Lowe’s, and Albertsons.

Macy’s says its biggest differentiator from retail competitors is its ability to tailor campaigns for customers based on performance.

An even better differentiator? The ability to buy space on its Herald Square Jumbotron: