Macy’s in collaboration with Dick’s Sporting Goods and plant food brand Miracle-Gro has unveiled its second experiential concept, “Outdoor STORY,” in 36 locations.

The Outdoor STORY shops are the second iteration of STORY at Macy’s, and come about 14 months after Macy’s acquired STORY, the experiential Manhattan retailer that reinvents itself with a new theme every couple of months.

Macy’s collaborated with Dick’s and Miracle-Gro on Outdoor STORY, which is focused on entertaining, bringing the outside indoors and recreational activities. The theme is explored through a mix of curated merchandise from more than 70 brands and community-focused programming. Over the span of two months (Outdoor STORY runs until September), Macy’s will offer more than 250 events, ranging from indoor gardening workshops and terrarium-making classes to outside activities such as kayaking on the Hudson River.

The merchandise includes a highly curated mix of apparel and hard goods from two of Dick’s private brands, Alpine Design and Field & Stream. It’s the first time the two brands have been available at a retailer outside of Dick’s.

“When Rachel Shechtman founder of STORY came to me with the concept I paused, because I wouldn’t have thought about partnering with another retailer to sell outdoor products at Macy’s. However, as she presented her ideas and the merchandise her team was envisioning it made a lot of sense. I reached out to Ed Stack, chairman & CEO of Dick’s, knowing that this would be a first for them as well – to share their exclusive private brand assortment in another major retailer – but he also saw the creative vision and we had the deal done and partnership launched in less than two months,” shared Jeff Gennette, chairman and CEO of Macy’s, Inc.

Said Stack, “We see this retail collaboration between Macy’s, Miracle-Gro and DICK’S as a way to showcase how three very different American-made companies can come together to create a unique shopping experience for all customers. We wish to thank the entire STORY team for thinking of DICK’S first when seeking an outdoor partner for this summer outdoor collaboration.”

Also featured is a newly launched indoor growing system for growing a wide variety of foods and herbs indoors from Miracle-Gro.

Outdoor STORY will further support the Macy’s brand experience team’s ‘test and learn’ approach via a variety of cross-merchandising strategies and event programming that showcases the community of each brand.

“I think people may be surprised and intrigued by our partnerships, and that is exactly what we wanted. We want to show both consumers, as well as businesses, that collaboration is a new competition; bringing together brands as storytellers to add authority and authenticity to a subject matter, like we are doing with Dick’s and Miracle-Gro, benefits both the customer and the business,” commented Rachel Shechtman, Macy’s brand experience officer and founder of STORY. As the retail industry continues to evolve, Shechtman noted that “The timing felt right to lean on each brand’s respective strengths to empower new modes of collaboration and learning.”

Similar to Macy’s first STORY shop, Color, which ran from April 10 to June 26, the Outdoor concept was designed by David Stark Design, with the goal of taking customers on an outdoor adventure through lush greenery, playful landscapes and Instagram-friendly moments.

Below are some of the community event highlights:

July 13, 12-5:00pm | Pick up games with Dick’s Sporting Goods. Press play and join us for a festival of summer games with the ultimate cornhole tournament. We’re bringing the outdoors in and playing this backyard favorite to give you a chance to compete for fun prizes. 

July 24, 6:30pm | Floral pressing + Journal making workshop with Miracle-Gro. Creativity is in bloom! Learn to use nature as a means of self-expression and to press flowers like a pro. Each guest will start a journal at this workshop and will be able to continue the lesson as they add their own flowers in the future.

July 31, 6:30pm | Herb garden planting + customization workshop with Miracle-Gro. Roll up your sleeves and create your own customized mini herb garden at this hands-on workshop.  Choose your edible herbs, decorate your pots using paint, tape, and chalk, and take home your very own mini garden.

August 7, 6:30pm | Bottle service BBQ sauce making. Join us to turn up the heat and discover how to combine ingredients to create your very own BBQ sauce. We’ll be experimenting with flavor profiles, spices, and bases to create the ultimate summer sauce at this hands-on cooking workshop.

August 14, 6:30pm | Terrarium building bar with Miracle-Gro. Bring the desert vibes indoors!  Create a customized terrarium at our build your own terrarium bar and choose from an assortment of mini cacti and succulents and learn everything you need to know to keep your plants healthy and happy.

August 17, 3:00pm | Up Up and Away: Kite customization. Join us for this hands-on customization workshop and add your personal touches to ensure your kite stands out in the sky. 

August 24, 3:00pm | DIY Days: Plant + Flower tie-dye workshop. Draw color from the earth and tie-dye basics using natural dyes and flower petals.  Craft your own one-of-a-kind tie-dye wonder using beets, turmeric, and indigo. Plus, add unique patterns by folding colorful petals into the mix.

 Outdoor shops can be found at the following Macy’s locations:

•Macy’s South Coast Plaza – Costa Mesa, CA
• Macy’s Newport Fashion Island – Newport Beach, CA
•Macy’s Stoneridge – Pleasanton, CA
• Macy’s Union Square – San Francisco, CA
• Macy’s Westfield Valley Fair – Santa Clara, CA
•Macy’s Boca Raton Town Center – Boca Raton, FL
•Macy’s Dadeland – Miami, FL
•Macy’s Orlando Millenia – Orlando, FL
•Macy’s Lenox Square- Atlanta, GA
•Macy’s Perimeter – Atlanta, GA
•Macy’s State Street – Chicago, IL
•Macy’s Woodfield – Schaumburg, IL
•Macy’s Castleton Square – Indianapolis, IN
•Macy’s Fayette – Lexington, KY
•Macy’s Ridgedale – Minnetonka, MN
•Macy’s Las Vegas Fashion Show – Las Vegas, NV
•Macy’s Bridgewater – Bridgewater Township, NJ
•Macy’s Freehold – Freehold Township, NJ
•Macy’s Short Hills – Short Hills, NJ
•Macy’s Willowbrook – Wayne, NJ
•Macy’s Brooklyn – Brooklyn, NJ
•Macy’s Roosevelt Field – Long Island, NJ
•Macy’s Herald Square – New York, NY
•Macy’s Queens Center – Queens, NY
•Macy’s Cross County – Yonkers, NY
•Macy’s Kenwood Towne Centre – Cincinnati, OH
•Macy’s Easton Town Center – Columbus, OH
•Macy’s Polaris Fashion Place – Columbus, OH
•Macy’s Center City – Philadelphia, PA
•Macy’s Ross Park – Pittsburgh, PA
•Macy’s Northpark Center – Dallas, TX
•Macy’s Houston Galleria – Houston, TX
•Macy’s Memorial City – Houston, TX
•Macy’s Bellevue – Bellevue, WA
•Macy’s Alderwood – Lynwood, WA
•Macy’s Metro Center – Washington, D.C.

Photos courtesy Macy’s